Timeform's Jockeys to Follow
Ruby Walsh is the best/worst Cheltenham jockey. Davy Russell is unbeatable in handicaps. Nina Carberry always wins the Foxhunters. There are many throwaway comments made about jockeys at the Cheltenham Festival, some of which have substance to back them up, while others depend on which horse people have backed. But who is the best?
Well, that all depends what you're looking for. It's clear that while Ruby Walsh has ridden the most winners (22), backing all of his mounts would only return a marginal profit.
Of course that isn't to say Walsh is a bad jockey, merely that his mounts are usually prominent in the betting and the returns are smaller when they do oblige. The key stat with Walsh is when to back him - and this is easy - all of his wins over the last five years have come in non-handicap races.
Contrastingly, Davy Russell - who returns the greatest profit overall - excels in handicaps, with 75% of his rides running to form. Of those who have ridden more than one handicap winner in this time period, Paul Townend and Brian Hughes are other jockeys to note.
As well as Russell, Townend is the man to go to when looking for a winner over hurdles, while Tom Scudamore fares extremely well over fences. Though often much maligned, Bryan Cooper's record over the bigger obstacles is also very good.
Looking for the best amateur rider? Jamie Codd, backed by trainer Gordon Elliott, is your man. His record of five wins from just 18 rides is actually better than Ruby Walsh's strike-rate.
