The Cheltenham Festival / Patrick Jupp / 14 March 2011 /

Ruby Walsh and Barry Geraghty lie first and fourth in the post-war list of winning-most Cheltenham Festival jockeys, having amassed forty-six winners between them over the years. The score for the top jockey award stands at 5-1 in the favour of Walsh, but both have a strong book of rides next week, suggesting that once again one of them will be top dog come 17.30 on Friday...

The majority of winners for both riders have come in non-handicaps and, with plans not finalised for a large percentage of the horses going down the handicapping route next week, let alone who'll be riding them, I'm going to ignore such races for the purpose of this piece in the hope that results in those contests even themselves out over the week.

Ruby Walsh has benefited enormously from his partnership with Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins, who between them have provided all of his winners since Dun Doire won the William Hill Trophy (handicap) back in 2006, and both yards look set to supply Ruby with plenty of ammunition again.

Quevega in the David Nicholson Mares Race looks his banker of the meeting, whilst Poquelin in the Ryanair and Big Buck's in the World Hurdle will both take all the beating, though the emergence of Grands Crus in the staying division has muddied the waters slightly with regards the last-named.

The likes of Ghizao in the Arkle, Aiteen Thirtythree in the RSA Chase, Master Minded in the Champion Chase, Robinson Collonges in the Golden Miller, and either Sam Winner or Zarkandar in the Triumph, are other good contenders from Ditcheat, whilst Zaidpour, So Young and possibly even Hurricane Fly (if connections opt to replace Paul Townend) from the Mullins yard add further strength to Walsh's book of rides.

Barry Geraghty has Big Zeb in the Champion Chase and Noble Prince in the Golden Miller amongst his likely mounts from the Emerald Isle next week, but the majority of his best rides come from just one source, Nicky Henderson 's stable.

Unlike Walsh, Geraghty doesn't have a banker in the Quevega mould, but he does have plenty of strong chances and could get off to a flyer, as the Henderson yard are best placed to pick up the pieces if Cue Card fails to fire in the opener, both Spirit Son and Sprinter Sacre high up on most lists, whilst Finian's Rainbow in the Arkle looks one of Henderson's best hopes all week. Bobs Worth has a favourite's chance in the Baring Bingham early on day two and Big Zeb lines up as the defending champion in the Queen Mother just over an hour later, but after that things go downhill a bit.

Either A Media Luz or Grandouet will provide Geraghty with a leading chance in the Triumph on the Friday, but there's a lack of depth in between, whilst his mounts in the four Championship events don't inspire confidence other than Big Zeb, Oscar Whisky little more than a live outsider in the Champion Hurdle whilst it's difficult to see Geraghty being on anything other than outsiders in the Ryanair or Gold Cup after Riverside Theatre picked up an injury.

That last absentee could well tip the balance in Walsh's favour, especially as the greater strength in depth to his rides over the week suggest that if the pair are level on winners, he'll have more placed horses to call upon in the tie-breaker. Walsh also makes plenty of appeal in the overall jockeys market at around [2.8] as it's very difficult to see who else will topple him.

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Back Ruby Walsh to be Cheltenham Festival Top Jockey at [2.92]

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