Cheltenham Gold Cup: Bettors give Blackmore 21% chance of victory

Bettors give Rachael Blackmore at 21% chance of riding A Plus Tard to victory in Friday's Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival after the Irish jockey stormed to victory on Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle.

Blackmore was the toast of Cheltenham last year riding six winners and, while that took place in front of no fans due to the pandemic, the roar from racegoers will be deafening should the 32-year-old triumph in the Festival centrepiece this time.

She will ride A Plus Tard - the runner up in last year's Gold Cup with Blackmore on board - and the Betfair Barometer reflects bettors' verdict on their chances.

A Plus Tard is 4.94/1 in the Betfair Exchange Gold Cup market, marginally longer than favourite Galvin 4.3100/30.

Paul Townend, who is 1.271/4 to end the Festival as the Top Jockey, will be reunited with Al Boum Photo 15.014/1, the horse he rode to Gold Cup glory in 2019 and '20 and finished third with last year.

On Wednesday, Townend was the winning jockey on Sir Gerhard in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle, when Blackmore suffered her second fall of the week as Journey With Me went down at the final hurdle. On day one, she was unseated by Telmesomethinggirl. Jockey and horse were ok on both occasions.

On Thursday, Blackmore and Bob Olinger were the benificaries when Galopin Des Champs fell on the final hurdle of the first race.

Her falls, along with her wins, mean Blackmore has experienced the highs and lows of Cheltenham in 2022.

Now Blackmore and A Plus Tard are aiming to finish on a high and go one better than last year's second place by winning Friday's Gold Cup.