Blackmore Shortens To Be First Female Top Jockey At Cheltenham

Support for Rachael Blackmore to be crowned the first female champion jockey at the Cheltenham festival next week has started to pick up pace.

5/2 Arkle favourite Notebook, 9/4 Ryanair favourite A Plus Tard and Mares’ Hurdle contender Honeysuckle (6/4) look set to feature on a stellar book of rides for the jockey who is now being backed to emerge with most winners come the end of the week.

Blackmore has been cut into 5/1 from 7/1 by BoyleSports to win top jockey honours, leaving only two ahead of her in the market. Willie Mullins’ stable jockey Paul Townend leads the way at 6/4, with Davy Russell, who will partner the likes of Presenting Percy in the Gold Cup, the 5/2 second favourite.

Nico de Boinville claimed the prize in 2019 with three visits to the winners’ enclosure and is a 10/1 shot to walk off with the honours again. Champion Chase favourite Altior (15/8) and joint Gold Cup favourite Santini (7/2) are two of the highlights set to feature amongst the bookings for Nicky Henderson’s stable jockey.

Rachael Blackmore’s book of rides for next week is clearly catching the eye and she only fell one short of the magic number last year in the top jockey race.

If support continues at this rate, she may go off even shorter than 5/1.

*Prices correct at time of publication.