The leading jockey award at the Cheltenham Festival is a prize every National Hunt jockey in the sport dreams of winning. It is a sign that it has been a great week for the respective rider at the prestigious meeting.
Irish jockey Paul Townend has won the award four times, including at each of the last three renewals of the meeting. With a strong book of rides, he will be fancied to defend his title once again.
Galopin Des Champs: The Horse Townend Will Be Most Excited About
🟡🟤 Galopin Des Champs exacts revenge on Fact To File at @LeopardstownRC in brilliant style!
🏇 21 runs
🥇 13 wins
🏆🏆 Savills Chase
🏆🏆 Cheltenham Gold Cup
🏆🏆 Irish Gold Cup
🏆 John Durkan Memorial
👑 10 G1 victories
⭐️ Superstar pic.twitter.com/nuVjAnASar— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 28, 2024
Champion Jockey, Townend, has good rides on each of the four days of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, but it is Galopin Des Champs in the Cheltenham Gold Cup that will likely excite him the most. The defending champion is 8/15 in the Cheltenham betting to prevail in the Blue Riband event for the third straight year.
Townend is 2/5 in the bet on horse racing market for the top jockey award at the Cheltenham Festival. Galopin Des Champs will give the Irishman a great chance of ending the week on a high on day four.
As the retained jockey for Champion Trainer, Willie Mullins, Townend also has some exciting rides on day one. Kopek Des Bordes is a warm favourite to win the opening race of the meeting, the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. He will also get to choose between Lossiemouth and State Man in the Champion Hurdle, the premier hurdles race.
Townend has now won 34 Cheltenham Festival races in his career, including 10 wins in the championship races. He will be confident of adding to his tally this year at the Gloucestershire racecourse.
Mark Walsh: The Biggest Challenger to Townend
Irishman, Mark Walsh, is set to ride the pick of JP McManus’ horses at the Cheltenham Festival this year. That will include Fact To File in the Ryanair Chase, his most likely target ahead of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Majborough pulls away to clinch Grade One @Goffs1866 Irish Arkle victory 🏆@WillieMullinsNH | #DublinRacingFestivalpic.twitter.com/oqXrSpu7mT
— Leopardstown RC (@LeopardstownRC) February 1, 2025
Majborough will give Walsh a great chance of making a great start to the meeting, as he is the odds-on favourite for the Arkle Trophy, the second race of the week. The Irishman rode the horse to victory in the Irish Arkle at Leopardstown on his most recent appearance.
Walsh is set to pick up some great rides for the handicap races across the four days. McLaurey is one of those horses. He is expected to be a strong contender for the County Hurdle on day four of the meeting.
Nico de Boinville: The Leading British Rider at The Meeting
British jockey Nico de Boinville has the best chance of the home-based riders in the race for the top jockey award this year. With Constitution Hill now back to his best following his triumph in the Christmas Hurdle, he is the one to beat in the Champion Hurdle, with de Boinville set to be on board.
Nicky Henderson’s retained rider also has Jonbon and Lallana in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Triumph Hurdle respectively. It looks set to be a more prosperous week for the pair than they had in 2024.
The leading jockey award at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival is set to be handed out after the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.
