Paul Townend has been top festival rider four times since 2020
Nico de Boinville (2019) is the only other active jockey to have been leading rider
The Cheltenham Festival 2026 starts on Tuesday, March 10
The Cheltenham Festival is the most eagerly anticipated four days in National Hunt racing and one of the most talked-about sporting events in the calendar.
The 2026 instalment is now less than three weeks away and excitement is reaching fever pitch for the Cotswolds extravaganza.
Since last year Rachael Blackmore – dubbed the Queen of Cheltenham for her heroics – has retired, got married and announced she is expecting her first child!
Ruby Walsh holds the record with 59 Cheltenham Festival winners in his decorated career and, ahead of this year's Cheltenham Festival, we're highlighting the five active jockeys with the most winners at this great meeting.
The latest Cheltenham Festival odds are available with LiveScore Bet
Paul Townend
Paul Townend succeeded Walsh as retained rider at the all-conquering Willie Mullins yard and the Corkman has been leading rider at the Cheltenham Festival in five of the last six years, taking his Cotswolds tally to 38.
Walsh retired at the age of 39 in May 2019 and Townend, 36, admits his tally of 59 winners remains a 'bit far away' but he wants one piece of Cheltenham history for himself.
He has won the Gold Cup twice with both Al Boum Photo (2019, 2020) and Galopin Des Champs (2023, 2024) and stands alongside Pat Taaffe as the most successful rider in the Blue Riband.
"I would not mind putting my name at the top of that list! I think there is a better chance of riding one of them than however many to catch Ruby," he told the Irish Examiner.
Galopin Des Champs rates an 8/1 chance with LiveScore Bet to regain the Gold Cup on March 13.
Nico de Boinville
Next on the list of active riders behind Townend is Nico de Boinville, the stable jockey to Nicky Henderson at Seven Barrows.
De Boinville took the leading rider accolade at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival and can now lay claim to 17 wins at this meeting, including a Gold Cup, a Champion Hurdle and two Queen Mother Champion Chase wins.
He needs a Stayers' Hurdle to complete his set of the feature races.
No British trainer has saddled more Cheltenham Festival winners than Henderson and de Boinville has the likes of 7/4 Supreme Novices' Hurdle favourite Old Park Star, Lulamba and Jonbon to look forward to come March.
Mark Walsh
Mark Walsh won the Gold Cup on Inothewayurthinkin for Gavin Cromwell last season and has been the retrained rider for top owner JP McManus in recent seasons.
The Blue Riband win last season took his Cotswolds tally to 13 and, like de Boinville, he needs just one to complete the set of Cheltenham's crown jewels having won the Champion Hurdle on Espoir d'Allen in 2019 and the Stayers' Hurdle in 2023 on Sire Du Berlais.
Majborough is favourite at 13/8 with LiveScore Bet to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase on March 11 and give Walsh the one he needs.
Jack Kennedy
Another rider with a powerful stable behind him, Jack Kennedy is the youngest jockey in the modern era to win the Gold Cup, having done so on Minella Indo aged just 21 back in 2021.
Kennedy is now the stable jockey for Gordon Elliott ensuring he has a host of leading chances such as Romeo Coolio, El Cairos and Teahupoo in his quest to add to his 11 Cheltenham Festival wins.
Kennedy broke his festival duck aboard the mercurial Labaik in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle as a teenager and, having blanked in 2025, will be determined to find the target this time.
Harry Skelton
Harry Skelton is the leading rider for his brother Dan, seemingly set to be crowned champion trainer in Britain for the first time this spring.
They have proved themselves a force in any company and Harry's winning ride on The New Lion in the Turners Novices' Hurdle last season put him into double figures at this great meeting.
The Skeltons will be hoping for more Cotswolds glory this season and The New Lion is currently 5/2 with LiveScore Bet to win the Champion Hurdle on day one of the meeting.
The latest Cheltenham Festival odds are available with LiveScore Bet
