Cheltenham Top Jockey Betting Odds 2025: Who Will Have Most Winners?

Undoubtedly, the jockey firmly in the driving seat regarding top riding honours at the 2025 Cheltenham Festival is reigning champion Paul Townend, a heavy odds-on favourite with betting sites to land the spoils again.

The all-powerful Willie Mullins yard is once again the dominant force in the number of Cheltenham Festival favourites, with Townend set to partner the majority.

Townend got two winners on the board on Tuesday, thanks to Kopek Des Bordes and Lossiemouth, but he didn’t ride a winner on Wednesday or Thursday.

That leaves us with a three-way tie for the lead between Townend, Mark Walsh and Rachael Blackmore as we head into the final day of the meeting.

Paul Townend

Paul Townend has been the top jockey at the Cheltenham Festival for four of the past five years, and it’s no surprise to see him trade as the heavy odds-on favourite at 1/2 with betting apps as he has the best book of rides out of any jockey on the last day of the festival.

Townend got off to a flyer with Kopek Des Bordes in the Supreme, and he followed that up with another victory in the Mares' Hurdle as Lossiemouth blew her rivals away.

He very nearly made it three wins from three rides were it not for State Man's dramatic fall at the last in the Champion Hurdle with the race at his mercy.

Townend failed to pick up a winner on Wednesday, which was a surprise considering his good book of rides, including Final Demand and Ballyburn, who were both beaten at short prices.

Thursday was another quiet day for Townend as Aurora Vega and Mystical Power were his only two rides, and they both disappointed.

On the last day of the meeting, Townend rides Kargese, who is the favourite for the County Hurdle, and Allegorie De Vassy in the Mares' Chase, which could have a huge bearing on the top jockey title as Mark Walsh rides Dinoblue in that race

Townend has outside chances on Lady Vega Allen in the Triumph and Jasmin De Vaux in the Albert Bartlett, but it would be a surprise if either of them won.

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Galopin Des Champs is Paul’s last ride of the meeting in the Gold Cup, and he will be tough to beat, as the odds of 4/7 with bookmakers suggest.

His chances of winning a hat-trick of top jockey honours are apparent, but he is far from home and dry as we head into the last day of the meeting.

Mark Walsh

Mark Walsh has never landed the top jockey prize at the Cheltenham Festival, but he looks to have as good a chance as ever of setting that straight this year.

He will be bitterly disappointed not to have won with Majborough in the Arkle. 

He started the race off well, but his jumping soon went to pieces, and blunders at the final two fences cost him dearly.

He quickly made amends, though, and steered Puturhandstogether to an easy victory in the Fred Winter to give Joseph O’Brien his fourth win in the race.

Cheltenham Top Jockey Odds

Walsh also didn’t have a winner on Wednesday, as Comfort Zone in the Coral and Aqua Force in the Bumper were both disappointing.

Fact To File gave Walsh another winner in the Ryanair Chase, but his remaining rides, such as Karoline Banbou, The Wallpark and Win Some Lose Some, failed to deliver.

On Friday, he is expected to win the Mares' Chase on Dinoblue, a 6/5 shot. 

He also rides McLaurey in the County Hurdle and Inothewayyourthinkin in the Gold Cup, both of which have decent chances.

At the start of the week, I said Mark Walsh was good value to be the top jockey at 7/1, and he is now priced at just 2/1 to win. 

He has a good book of rides for the final day of the meeting and has every chance to land the top jockey honours for the first time.

Rachael Blackmore

Rachael Blackmore is no stranger to riding winners at Cheltenham as she won top jockey honours in 2021, when she rode six winners, including the mighty Honeysuckle.

Rachael wasn’t close to getting a winner on the opening two days of the meeting, which saw her odds drift to 50/1 in this market.

Things quickly changed on Thursday, though, as she powered home to win the opener on Air Of Entitlement, and she followed that up with a memorable victory on Bob Olinger in the Stayers’ Hurdle.

She is tied on two winners with Townend and Walsh, and her odds have plummeted to 12/1 as she rides three horses at similar odds on Friday in Blue Lemons, Argento Boy and Monty’s Star.

Nico De Boinville

Nico De Boinville claimed the top jockey title in 2019 with just three wins, but his hopes of reclaiming the title have faded.

Nico got his festival off to the perfect start as he somehow managed to get a tune out of Jango Baie in the final furlong to power home to win an eventful Arkle.

De Boinville was brought back to earth in the Champion Hurdle when Constitution Hill took a crashing fall four out to end his chances of regaining his crown.

Wednesday was a day to forget for Nico as a jumping mistake cost Jonbon his chance in the Champion Chase. Impose Toi was another runner-up finish for Nico in the Coral Cup while Mister Coffey disappointed in the Cross Country.

His only rides on Thursday were Jeriko Du Reponet in the Pertemps and Lucky Place in the Stayers’ Hurdle, but neither won.

Nico’s final high-profile ride will be Lulamba, who is battling for favouritism with East India Dock to win Friday's Triumph Hurdle in what looks to be one of the clashes of the festival.

De Boinville (25/1) will have to hope that Lulamba wins and the trio above him in the jockey standings all fail to have a winner. 

This looks like a long shot, to say the least.