The Cheltenham Festival top jockey betting provides punters with an interesting sub-plot through the four-day meeting and can often give horse racing fans an interest in most races (providing they’ve got a ride).
Cheltenham Festival Top Jockey Betting: Townend Fancied To Win Fourth Leading Rider Award
Leading Irish jockey Paul Townend had to play second fiddle to Ruby Walsh for many years, but with the silver fox pilot retiring in 2019 this paved the way for Townend to get the top rides on the best Willie Mullins horses.
He’s not looked back since and managed to win his first Cheltenham Festival top jockey award in 2020 and has since added two more in 2022 and 2023.
Townend is still very much the Willie Mullins number one rider too, so it’s no surprise to see the three time Cheltenham Festival top jockey as the big favourite with the best UK horse racing betting sites to land a fourth (see the full betting below).
Amongst Paul Townend’s big 2024 Cheltenham rides will be Lossiemouth (Mares Novices’ Hurdle), El Fabiolo (Champion Chase), Ballyburn (Supreme/Baring Bingham) and Galopin Des Champs (Gold Cup).
2024 Cheltenham Festival Top Jockey Betting Odds
- Paul Townend 2/5
- Jack Kennedy 5/1
- Nico De Boinville 8/1
- Mark Walsh 10/1
- Rachael Blackmore 16/1
- Harry Cobden 16/1
- Danny Mullins 20/1
- Patrick Mullins 33/1
Note: Odds are from BetMGM and subject to change (others on request)
Paul Townend 2024 Cheltenham Festival Main Rides
Tuesday 12th March 2024
- Ballyburn (Supreme Novices’ Hurdle)
- State Man (Champion Hurdle)
- Lossiemouth (Mares Hurdle)
Wednesday 13th March 2024
- Ballyburn (Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle)
- El Fabiolo (Champion Chase)
Thursday 14th March 2024
- Jade De Grugy (Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle)
Friday 15th March 2024
- Galopin Des Champs (Gold Cup)
Cheltenham Festival Top Jockey – Best Of The Rest
Jack Kennedy is second favourite in the Cheltenham top jockey market 2024 and, as always, will get the pick of the best Gordon Elliott runners as he also looks for his first leading riders award.
Next best in the betting sees Nico De Boinville, who was top jockey in 2019.
He’ll get the leg-up on all the main Nicky Henderson runners and it will be a shock if he’s not getting at least one winner on the board – as he rides the big Champion Hurdle favourite Constitution Hill.
Mark Walsh will have the pick of the main JP McManus runners – including Fact To File, who is a big fancy for either the Brown Advisory or Turners Novices’ Chase, and could also ride Dinoblue on the Mares’ Chase on the final day.
Danny Mullins will have a bit of interest too, having done well again at the 2024 Dublin Racing Festival and he’ll be picking up any spare rides for uncle Willie.
What Happens If the Festival Top Jockey Is Tied?
If two (or more jockeys) ride the same amount of Cheltenham Festival winners over the 28 races then it will go on the best number of seconds, then thirds, fourth and so on till there is a winner. Therefore, even a second or third placed finish for these top jockeys can be crucial.
Ruby Walsh Rode 59 Cheltenham Festival Winners
No jockey has ridden more Chelteham Festival winners than Ruby Walsh, as he ended his riding days with 59 succeses at the meeting.
Walsh, who also won two Grand Nationals, rode his first Cheltenham Festival winner in 1998 on Alexander Banquet and went on to add two Gold Cup wins with Kauto Star and four Champion Hurdle wins (Annie Power, Faugheen and Hurricane Fly twice).
The final Cheltenham Festival winner for Walsh was Klassical Dream in the 2019 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. He announced his retirement soon after in May 2019 and is now a popular TV pundit for RacingTV and Paddy Power.
Recent Cheltenham Festival Top Jockey Hall of Fame (Since 2013)
- 2023: Paul Townend (5)
- 2022: Paul Townend (5)
- 2021: Rachael Blackmore (6)
- 2020: Paul Townend (5)
- 2019: Nico de Boinville (3)
- 2018: Davy Russell (4)
- 2017: Ruby Walsh (4)
- 2016: Ruby Walsh (7)
- 2015: Ruby Walsh (4)
- 2014: Ruby Walsh (3)
- 2013: Ruby Walsh (4)
Leading Current Jockeys At The Cheltenham Festival
- Paul Townend (27)
- Nico de Boinville (16)
- Rachael Blackmore (14)
- Jack Kennedy (10)
- Mark Walsh (8)
- Patrick Mullins (8)
- Sam Twiston-Davies (7)
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