Cheltenham Festival 2022: Checking Out the Jockey’s Odds
The biggest horse racing event of the year is fast approaching, and the 2022 Cheltenham Festival promises to be bigger than ever this time around as the entire industry attempts to make up for the fact that 2021’s running of the showpiece event took place with no spectators in attendance.
The festival has been a beacon for the sport of horse racing for decades and was first run in 1860. It is now the most significant event in the sport worldwide, generating upwards of £600 million in revenue for the leading betting companies. If you then factor in the amount made in the town over the weekend, which becomes a hive of activity for the four days of the festival, then the sums are astronomical.
That’s why it was a major deal when last year’s event played out without fans there to watch it live.
How to Bet During the Cheltenham Festival
The gravitas generated by the Cheltenham Festival means that a large percentage of those that bet on the event may have never bet on horse racing before or may have very limited knowledge of how to do so.
In many ways, sports betting providers look to make the most of this by providing a raft of betting types and offers in and around the festival, and you should be wary of placing too much on the event if you are not adequately prepared for the possible negative consequences of doing so.
On the plus side, you can make use of the many bookmaker offers that are released around Cheltenham, enticing deals that they use in order to secure new customers. When using these, be sure to check out the small print as the winnings you may secure might not be immediately accessible similarly, don’t overplay your hand. In other words, use the offer and then consider your options, whether that be placing additional bets or indeed trying out a new provider.
You are not beholden to a brand just because you signed up; this is especially true if their service is sub-standard.
Major Betting Markets
Clearly, the lion’s share of the betting action that takes place over the course of four days of magnificent National Hunt racing relates to the bets on the specific races, with the Gold Cup being the pinnacle, but it’s also worth considering taking a lot at other markets that could make your betting activity on the event a whole lot tastier.
One such area revolves around bets on jockeys both in terms of individual races and the number of winners the top stars can accumulate over the period of the festival.
You can choose to back jockey’s in the key races or look to make the overall event more enjoyable by backing a more long-term bet on the jockey who will pick up the most wins over the course of the 2022 Cheltenham Festival.
Gold Cup Jockey Odds and Bets
Last year Minella Indo was ridden to victory by Jack Kennedy, but in 2022, that particular honour will go to Robbie Power, and Henry De Bromhead’s horse is currently sitting at around the third favourite with most bookies; ahead of him comes Al Boum Photo (who is likely to be ridden for the third time by Paul Townend (following a spell out with a shoulder injury) seen as a fourth favourite.
A Plus Tard is the current favourite for this year’s Gold Cup and will be ridden by Rachael Blackmore, who took the second place spot last time around, and Galvin is a second favourite will probably be ridden by Davy Russell.
The betting on the race is pretty tight, with a lot of action going on the four named horses, with Chantry House being a useful outsider to consider.
Top Cheltenham Festival Jockey
When it comes to the Cheltenham Festival’s top jockey betting, the field is probably as open as it’s ever been. Legendary jockey Ruby Walsh won the accolade on 11 occasions between 2004 and 2017, but there’s been no such period of domination since then.
The last four years have seen different riders achieve top jockey status, with last year’s leader, Racheal Blackmore, becoming the first female race to reach the top spot and is once again one of the favourites to do so in 2022.
In front of her in the betting comes Paul Townend, who won the Gold Cup in both 2019 and 2020 and will once again be riding Al Boum Photo, who is well placed to pick up a third win in the event in four years.
Blackmore is considered a second favourite with most bookies; at around 3/1, behind her comes Davy Russell and Nico De Boinville, whose odds will net you a more significant payout.