Who are Harry Cobden, Nico de Boinville, Bryony Frost and the stars of ITV's Champions: Full Gallop?

The first three episodes of the new ITV docuseries Champions: Full Gallop are available to stream on ITVX now, while the first episode was shown on ITV1 at 9pm on Friday, July 19. Here, we profile some of the show's racing stars and provide their back stories.

• 'I felt like I was taking off' - King George thrills and spills light up opening episode of Champions: Full Gallop 

Harry Cobden

Harry Cobden rode his first winner in March 2015 and earlier this year was crowned champion jockey for the first time.

As the number-one rider to Paul Nicholls, Cobden has enjoyed fruitful associations with the likes of Clan Des Obeaux, Bravemansgame and Cyrname in recent seasons.

Cobden gained his first Cheltenham Festival winner when the Colin Tizzard-trained Kilbricken Storm ran out a shock 33-1 winner of the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle back in 2018. Since then, Cobden has added a further four festival wins to his tally, courtesy of Topofthegame (2019 RSA Chase), Stage Star (2023 Turners Novices' Chase), Stay Away Fay (2023 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle) and Monmiral (2024 Pertemps Final).

Harry Cobden: leading jockey is among the big racing names to star in the new ITV docuseriesCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Career winners: 883 (all in British jumps races)

Nico de Boinville

A former work-rider for the top-class chaser Sprinter Sacre, Nico de Boinville's first winner came on the Flat in 2008 and he has since developed into one of the leading jumps jockeys in Britain.

De Boinville enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2014-15 when partnering the Mark Bradstock-trained Coneygree to three wins, most notably in the Cheltenham Gold Cup when the eight-year-old became the first novice winner since 1974.

De Boinville partnered the mighty Altior to 18 of his 21 career wins and was aboard when Nicky Henderson's star won for a remarkable 19th consecutive time at Sandown in 2019, a victory that broke Big Buck's' record of successive jumps wins.

Henderson and De Boinville have enjoyed notable success in recent years with the high-class hurdler Constitution Hill, who is an unblemished eight from eight for the pair.

Nico de Boinville: partnered the mighty Altior to 18 of his 21 career winsCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Career winners: 745 (739 in British jumps races, three in British Flat races and three in Irish jumps races)

Bryony Frost

Bryony Frost, daughter of 1989 Grand National-winning jockey Jimmy Frost, partnered her first winner in February 2015.

She rode Hunters' Chase winner Pacha Du Polder at the 2017 Cheltenham Festival and has since formed a notable association with the Paul Nicholls-trained Frodon.

Frost was aboard for 11 of Frodon's 19 wins, three of which came at Grade 1 level – in the 2019 Ryanair Chase, 2020 King George VI Chase and 2021 Down Royal Champion Chase.

In a bid to chase further riding opportunities, Frost recently spent time in France where she worked as a retained rider for leading jumps owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.

Bryony Frost: aboard for 11 of Frodon's 19 wins, three of which came at Grade 1 levelCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Career winners: 294 (292 in British jumps races, one in British Flat races and one in Irish jumps races)

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Paul Nicholls

A 14-time champion jumps trainer in Britain, Paul Nicholls began life in racing as a jump jockey, riding 119 winners.

The Ditcheat-based operator first entered the winner's enclosure as a trainer in 1991. Olveston, part-owned by his mother Margaret, was the horse to give him that milestone victory.

Since then, Nicholls has achieved 100+ winners in 22 seasons and has enjoyed four Cheltenham Gold Cup wins with See More Business, Kauto Star (twice), and Denman.

Nicholls, his former assistant Dan Skelton and Ireland's Willie Mullins were locked in battle for the 2023-24 British trainers' title, although it was Mullins who finished the campaign on top.

Paul Nicholls: 14-time champion jumps trainer in BritainCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Career winners: 3,775 (3,729 in British jumps races, 18 in British Flat races and 28 in Irish jumps races)

Shark Hanlon

John Joseph 'Shark' Hanlon is best known for his association with Hewick, although his first winner under rules was Wolseley Lady in a Tramore bumper on New Year's Day in 2005.

At the time, Hanlon didn't have a full training licence, so she ran under the name of his former boss Tony Mullins and went on to win a Limerick maiden hurdle two months later.

The 'Shark' has trained two Grade 1 winners, the first of whom was Skyace, who cost just £600. She won the 2021 Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final at the Irish Grand National meeting.

His other Grade 1 winner is Hewick, the €850 purchase who landed the bet365 Gold Cup, American Grand National and Galway Plate in 2022 before his epic 2023 King George VI Chase victory.

Shark Hanlon: has trained two Grade 1 winnersCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Career winners: 288 (232 in Irish jumps races, 34 in British jumps races and 22 in Irish Flat races)

Gavin Sheehan

Gavin Sheehan, Britain's champion conditional jockey for the 2013-14 season, rode his first winner at Thurles in 2011 aboard the John Joseph Murphy-trained Whatsabillion.

His first Grade 1 success came at the 2015 Cheltenham Festival when he guided Cole Harden, trained by his former boss Warren Greatrex, to success in the World Hurdle.

Sheehan formed a strong relationship with prominent owners Kate and Andrew Brooks, a spell during which he rode Itchy Feet to victory in the 2020 Grade 1 Scilly Isles Novices' Chase.

The three-time Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey was entrusted by Shark Hanlon to ride Hewick for the first time in the Grade 1 King George VI Chase with regular rider Jordan Gainford sidelined through injury. The pair went on to gallop to glory in the Christmas showpiece at Kempton.

Gavin Sheehan: entrusted by Shark Hanlon to ride Hewick for the first time in the Grade 1 King George VI Chase in 2023Credit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Career winners: 766 (762 in British jumps races and four in Irish jumps races)

What is Champions: Full Gallop?

Champions: Full Gallop is a six-part docuseries that tells the story of the 2023-24 jumps season. Episode one covers last year's thrilling King George VI Chase, won by the Shark Hanlon-trained Hewick, while the second episode covers last year's jockeys' championship battle between Sean Bowen and Harry Cobden.

Where and when to watch Champions: Full Gallop

• Episode two of the docuseries will be broadcast on ITV1 at 9pm on Friday, July 26
• Now available to stream on ITVX: episode 1, episode 2 and episode 3

Read these next:

Who is Frodon, why was he so popular and where is he now? 

Bargain buys, Grade 1 wins and big dreams - five reasons why Shark Hanlon has built up a huge following 

New horseracing docuseries Champions: Full Gallop - when to watch, TV details, where to stream and more 

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