Ruby Walsh Odds-On for Cheltenham Top Jockey
- By A.J. Ryder on February 27, 2012 16:52 GMT
As we inch closer to the 2012 Cheltenham Festival as each day goes by, it's starting to look like a real dogfight for Ruby Walsh and Barry Geraghty as they are the favoured contenders to take top honours at this year's steeplechasing showpiece.
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Walsh gets the best mounts from several top yards including Paul Nicholls and he's set to take the irons on a fair amount of festival favourites.
As it currently stands, the bookmakers have Walsh trading anywhere between 1/2 and 8/11 to win the most races at this year's contest. Geraghty generally puts up a good fight and earns his keep so bookmakers have him trading in the 11/4 to 4/1 range.
Tony McCoy is a great shout to win top jockey throughout the entirety of a National Hunt season should be succeed in staying off the treatment table, but he can sometimes get stuck with more than a few middling mounts at Cheltenham.
McCoy can be backed anywhere from 7/1 to 11/1 for Cheltenham honours.
Those looking to back an upstart contender for top 2012 Cheltenham Festival jockey can try Richard Johnson at 14/1 across the board or Davu Russell who trades at 16/1 to 20/1. Paul Townend is at 25/1 to 20/1 while Tom Scudamore is as high as 50/1 with most major bookmakers.
Certain to add a bit of spice to this top jockey race is the fact that several major National Hunt yards have been in relatively indifferent form as of late and will be requiring a sharp return to form or a very forgettable festival season.
