Architect Tips looks for betting value in the Top Jockey market at Cheltenham.
Cheltenham Top Jockey
Paul Townend is rated 75% likely to be the Top Jockey at the Cheltenham Festival, even at the best odds through oddschecker.
Can Paul Townend be stopped?
The prospect of Paul Townend being crowned the leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival again next week seems inevitable.
Mullins’ number one has won three of the last four years and is the 1/3 favourite (BetMGM) to lift the trophy again. He is the most successful active jockey at the Cheltenham Festival, with 28 winners and another big week looks firmly on the cards.
His main ride will be on Galopin Des Champs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, who will be looking to win the biggest race of the week for a second year in succession, something Townend achieved on Al Boum Photo back in 2019 and 2020.
State Man will be his ride in the Champion Hurdle. While it is a race he has yet to win, he could do it this year with the news about defending champion Constitution Hill.
El Fabiolo, Lossiemouth, and Ballyburn are other notable rides, with many more to be confirmed between now and the weekend. He is expected to have plenty of winners throughout the course of next week.
But as things stand, like Willie Mullins in my top trainer piece, he cannot be advised at such short odds, and the sensible option is having a bet in the Top Jockey w/o Townend market.
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Mark Walsh could have his best tally
Mark Walsh is a jockey who might have slipped under the radar for some. His association with owner JP McManus needs no introduction. With the latter set to assemble one of his strongest teams in the Cotswolds next week, Mark could be easily set to have his best tally this year.
With eight career wins at the Cheltenham Festival, he is expected to at least add to that next week. Two of his important rides include Fact To File and Dinoblue, who both have outstanding chances in their respective races, and he should steer at least one of them to success.
Not only will his boss JP hand him the ammunition he needs for further success, but so will other trainers, as it’s more than likely he will pick up other decent rides. The 4/1 in the w/o Townend betting does appeal to me, but I reckon another fellow Irish jockey might just have his measure.
Jack Kennedy is taken to shine
It’s not been plain sailing for Jack Kennedy at the Cheltenham Festival in recent years, who has missed out on riding at the meeting on a few occasions due to injury, but all is well this year and with Gordon Elliott’s squad looking strong, compensation could await the 10-time Cheltenham Festival winning rider.
The former Gold Cup winner will also head into Cheltenham as the leading Irish rider this season, having bagged his first century of wins in a single season. The number of winners and performances in the saddle suggests he’s riding out of his skin, and some of his biggest rides will include either Teahupoo or Irish Point in the Stayers’ Hurdle.
As well as that, he will have a difficult choice to make in the Cross Country Chase, with options such as Delta Work, Galvin and Coko Beach. He will also ride Gerri Colombe in the Gold Cup, Brighterdaysahead in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, Firefox in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, and Found A Fifty in the Arkle.
Cheltenham Festival Top Jockey Tips
While I came close to nominating Mark Walsh, who I expect to have a good week, JACK KENNEDY (best price 2/1 w/o Townend) is a solid option in this special market.
Despite a chunk of his career in terms of the Cheltenham Festival being plagued by injury, he’s still ridden a good number of winners since his first win at the Cheltenham Festival as a 17-year-old and will have a great book of rides next week.
