Geraghty’s odds for top jockey looking even better

Barry Geraghty may be worth a bet at 3/1 to end the Cheltenham Festival as the top jockey, following Ruby Walsh’s latest fall in a hurdles race at Naas.

Walsh will need to display all of his talent and determination if he is to finish the Cheltenham Festival as top jockey, as life has not started ideally upon his return to the saddle from a broken leg.

It was touch and go whether Walsh would make the four-day Festival at all earlier in the season after suffering the double fracture in a fall at Down Royal in November.

However, he was fit enough to return to the saddle last week at Newbury and has continued his fight to get race-fit since.

His latest ride was at Naas on board King Of The Refs, but rather than sealing a first win since his comeback, Walsh instead suffered another heavy fall.

Luckily, he emerged with just a cut to his eye that required some stitches and he remains unperturbed in his quest to ride winners at Cheltenham.

No jockey has ever ridden more than the 27 Cheltenham Festival winners achieved by Walsh in his career and with rides on board leading fancies including Quevega, Big Buck’s and Master Minded this year, there is every chance he will build on this record.

Walsh is 11/10 in the Cheltenham betting to be the top Festival jockey for the sixth time in eight seasons, but some sceptics will feel that he will head to Cheltenham below 100 per cent and this will have a negative impact on his number of winners.

Furthermore, others may argue that some of his leading candidates do not possess the same dominance that they have done at previous Festivals.

Punters looking to oppose Walsh for the top jockey accolade may therefore be best served to opt for Geraghty, who is also guaranteed a good book of rides thanks to his relationship with Nicky Henderson.

A £25 stake on Tony McCoy being the top jockey at the Cheltenham Festival would return £150. New customers can sign up here for a free £25 bet.