Cheltenham Top Jockey

June 17, 2011
Online Betting King
Cheltenham Festival
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Cheltenham top jockey betting

Top jockey betting for the Cheltenham Festival

The Jockey’s influence is so often overlooked in horse racing. Punters are quick to point the finger at those marshalling horses if it loses, but never has a damned cliché been so true – the jockey is only as good as the horse he/she rides. Essentially, the rider is responsible for the decision making tactics in the race, whether this be to pin the horse up against the rail or patiently restrain it at the back of the field. These decisions must be made in split seconds and there is always that element of luck that needs to be taken into account. Nevertheless, a good jockey cannot work miracles on a horse but it can give it the best possible chance of winning a race; so when placing your bets consider the mount of your chosen fancy. And why not have a flutter on the human responsible for steering your horse to victory by exploring the top jockey market for the 2011 Cheltenham Festival?

Ruby Walsh Cheltenham top jockey odds

Being the top jockey at the Cheltenham festival requires many qualities; fitness, awareness but chief of these is a determination to win. And the latter can be said about many top riders but none more so than the reigning Cheltenham top jockey Ruby Walsh. The Irish National Hunt Champion has ridden 25 Cheltenham Festival winners and has been leading pilot at the fixture five times. He’s sure to be booked to ride several well-fancied contenders this year in his bid to successfully defend the jockeys’ title. It’s inevitable that winning jockeys will continue to get better mounts and Ruby is no different, but can he continue his excellent record at Cheltenham at the expense of his challengers?

Robert Thornton Cheltenham top jockey odds

There has been little to smile about for the English riders who have had their work cut out up against their Irish counterparts. But could things fall into place for the returning Robert ‘Choc’ Thornton after he scooped the Festival’s top jockey award in 2007 with four winners. Alan King’s stable jockeys greatest achievements are all linked to the Cheltenham Festival where he has claimed top honours in the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Arkle to name but a few. The Darlington-born rider has spent much of the season on the sidelines nursing a knee ligament injury and providing he comes through his rehabilitation without any setbacks he should be fit to participate at the meeting. Can he produce a St George’s flag in the winners’ enclosure at Cheltenham again?

AP McCoy Cheltenham top jockey odds

Last year’s Grand National win was a case of fifteenth time lucky for the ever popular Tony McCoy aboard Don’t Push It. The Northern Irish Champion Jockey now has few targets left to chase after collecting the biggest prize in horse racing at Aintree last April. McCoy will fancy his chances of ousting Ruby Walsh as top navigator at the forthcoming fixture thirteen years after becoming the first Irish jockey to win consecutive Cheltenham Festival top jockey titles. Having ridden over 3,000 winners in his career, AP is a shrewd contender to ride the most winners this year for ex-jockey Jonjo O’Neill’s stable.

Other jockeys in the top jockey betting

Other potentially well fancied jockeys for the title include a trio of Irish raiders. Last years Gold Cup winner Paddy Brennan exposed the weaknesses of the well-fancied pair of Kauto Star and Denman when he led Imperial Commander to Cheltenham glory. Brennan must stand a chance after that success as do fellow countrymen Graham Lee and Barry Geraghty who claimed the Cheltenham Top Jockey accolade in 2005 and 2003 respectively. The best chance of the prize remaining in England probably rests with Richard Johnson who predominantly rides for the Philip Hobbs yard. He along with Geraghty, are the only two remaining jockeys riding today to have won all four Championship races at Cheltenham.

The Cheltenham Festival Top Jockey award is certainly an interesting market to consider. One that will only intensify in the build up towards March when we will catch a glimpse of the horses these jockeys are given to ride during the races.