Cheltenham Festival Top Trainer and Jockey: Mullins and Townend odds-on favourites on the In-Play markets

• Mullins marches on towards sixth successive trainer title

• Townend favourite to be top jockey

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The top trainer and jockey betting was dominated by the Willie Mullins and Paul Townend respectively after the first day of the Cheltenham Festival. 

A Tuesday that produced drama and upsets at big odds nevertheless saw familiar names racing to the top of the leaderboards for individual honours.

Nobody will be surprised to see the Irish pair dominating and the signs were ominous for their rivals from the moment Townend rode the Mullins-trained Kopek Des Bordes to victory in the opening race the Supreme Novices' Hurdle.

The pair later combined to win the Mares' Hurdle as Lossiemouth was victorious.

Mullins has been in imperious form at the Festival since the last decade and, if he wins this year, it will be six Cheltenham Top Trainer titles in a row. 

The Betfair Predicts Top Trainer graph shows that punters are convinced he will take the prize again and he is an unbackable 1.011/100 on the Betfair Exchange.

Betfair Predicts Willie Mullins to win top trainer at Cheltenham Festival

Mullins was on target again on Wednesday when his outsider Lecky Watson won the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase. 

The big surprise, however, was that the much-fancied Ballyburn, who is also trained by Mullins and had Townend on board, failed to deliver and finished outside the places.  

Townend must have been disappointed but, just after the race on Wednesday afternoon, Betfair Exchange punters were still backing him to win top jockey. He is 1.51/2 to take the title he won last year and in 2022. 

Mark Walsh, who rode Puturhandstogether in the Fred Winter on day one, is Townend's nearest rival in the market at 3.185/40.

Betfair Predicts Paul Townend to win top jockey at Cheltenham Festival

Mullins and Townend will have plenty more chances to win at Cheltenham in the remainder of Wednesday and throughout Thursday and Friday. 

Townend will ride the Mullins-trained Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup on Friday as they try to join elite Festival company by winning the race for a third year in a row. 

Only Best Mate has achieved the three-peat this century so if they are to do it the trio will confirm their place in history.

The Betfair Exchange odds indicate that they Townend and Mullins will be well on their way to winning top jockey and trainer respectively by then.

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