Ruby Walsh leads the odds for the Thomas Pink Leading Rider Award at the Cheltenham Festival. He is a good bet for the top jockey award after winning it at five of the last seven festivals, including the last three.
Walsh has been out since November after breaking his leg, but he is expected to return to racing by the end of the month. He will probably get the best horses Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins have to offer for the Cheltenham Festival in March. He broke a record there last year for most career festival race wins, passing the late Pat Taaffe’s 25. In 2009, Walsh set claimed an unprecedented seven wins aboard horses like Kauto Star, Master Minded and Que Vega.
Walsh’s biggest competition this year is Barry Geraghty and Tony McCoy. Geraghty will be hoping Walsh’s time out of the game will help his challenge for the Cheltenham Top Jockey. He has 19 festival wins and will be looking to repeat his success from 2003 where he won the award off of five race wins.
McCoy is another worthy competitor. The 15-time champion jockey has 23 Cheltenham Festival wins. He won the Champion Hurdle and Ryanair Chase last year. 2008 Albert Bartlett Novices Hurdle winner Robert Thornton is the best of the rest with decent value.
Cheltenham Top Jockey Odds (provided by William Hill)
Ruby Walsh: 6/5
Barry Geraghty: 11/4
Tony McCoy: 6/1
Robert Thornton: 10/1
Richard Johnson: 16/1
Jason Maguire: 25/1
Paul Townsend: 25/1
Tom Scudamore: 25/1
Davy Russell: 33/1
Paddy Brennan: 33/1
Paul Carberry 33/1
Timmy Murphy: 33/1
Graham Lee: 50/1
Nick Scholfield: 50/1
Paul Maloney: 50/1
Sam Thomas: 50/1
Sam Twiston-Davies: 50/1
Aidan Coleman: 66/1
Daryl Jacob: 66/1