The 2024 Cheltenham Festival is just around the corner. Of course, the horses will be the stars of the show, but UK betting sites have a range of additional markets available for the Festival. One such market is for Cheltenham Top Jockey. Paul Townend has landed the honour each of the last two years and will be the firm favourite to do it again. Let's take a look at some of the contenders who'll be looking to dethrone him this year.

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Paul Townend

Let’s start with the obvious. Paul Townend is once again the strong favourite with horse racing betting apps to win his fourth leading jockey title in five years. Townend’s position as number one rider for the all-conquering Willie Mullins has resulted in him recording 27 Cheltenham Festival winners to date.

Townend has another top-quality book of rides this season, with Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs, Lossiemouth and El Fabiolo all fancied to contribute to what promises to be another successful week for the 33-year-old Irishman.

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Jack Kennedy

Jack Kennedy has already amassed 10 Cheltenham Festival winners, with the highlight being Minella Indo in the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup. He's stable jockey for Gordon Elliott, who perhaps lacks the true Grade 1 firepower the Willie Mullins' yard has, but comes to the Festival as second favourite to be the leading trainer. 

Kennedy is sure to have his pick of the Elliott string in the handicaps, and it wouldn't be a surprise if it was he who benefitted most if it turns out to be a down week for Paul Townend.

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Nico de Boinville

Leading British rider, Nico de Boinville, is Nicky Henderson’s number-one jockey, and he has been associated with some of the greatest equine talents ever to grace the Cheltenham Festival. 2024 is no different, and he has another solid-looking book of rides.

Constitution Hill is obviously De Boinville’s big hope of a festival win and is the overwhelming favourite in the Champion Hurdle, and with him also going getting the leg up on the likes of Shishkin and Jonbon, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that he can outgun Paul Townend to record his second leading jockey award. He's a dark horse worth considering on UK betting apps.

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Rachael Blackmore

Rachael Blackmore is not only one of the best jockeys in jump racing, but she is also a familiar face in the sporting world in general. The leading female rider has been breaking records wherever she has gone in recent years and can name a Gold Cup and a pair of Champion Hurdles among her list of 14 festival winners thus far.

In 2021, Blackmore became the first woman to be crowned leading rider at the festival with six wins, and although she might not have the same quality of rides this season, she will have plenty of decent mounts, and should be able to bag at least a couple of winners.

Rachael Blackmore’s rides at this year’s Cheltenham Festival are yet to be confirmed, so our dedicated page to the Grand National-winning jockey is a must-visit. We have a full, updated list of her confirmed future rides and all of the latest prices on her booked rides from the leading betting sites and betting apps.

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Cheltenham Festival Top Jockey Tips

There's no getting away from the fact that Willie Mullins holds all the aces at the Cheltenham Festival. It would be a major shock if he didn't send out at least six or seven winners. As such, Paul Townend is a deserving and obvious favourite. The value might be lurking elsewhere in the Mullins team though.

Patrick Mullins is expected to have his pick of the bumper horses as well as having leading chances in the Festival races for amateurs. He'll be riding some of the second or third string horses for the yard in big races and could make his top jockey odds at horse racing betting sites look awfully big come the Festival.