Paul Townend eyes fourth straight Cheltenham Festival Top Jockey title in 2025

Paul Townend is the overwhelming favourite to win the Cheltenham Festival top jockey title in 2025 and add a fifth crown to his illustrious honours list.

The best horse racing betting sites in the UK make Townend long odds-on to land a fourth consecutive Cheltenham Festival top jockey award after ‘back-to-back-to-back’ successes in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Townend picked up the prize for the first time in 2020 and the 34-year-old looks forward to an attractive book of rides at the festival next month.

As stable jockey to reigning Cheltenham Festival top trainer Willie Mullins, Townend enjoys the pick of the bunch every year of Ireland’s leading hopes at Prestbury Park.

Paul Townend’s Best Chances At The Cheltenham Festival 2025

Tuesday – Supreme Novices’ Hurdle: Kopek Des Bordes

Townend has the perfect chance to begin with a bang aboard one of the Cheltenham Festival bankers, Kopek Des Bordes in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – the first race on Tuesday.

The five-year-old made a winning debut in a Fairyhouse bumper by 13 lengths last March before getting off the mark on his first start over hurdles at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival in December.

He did plenty wrong on Boxing Day but showed an impressive engine to get over the line in front before a hugely improved effort in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival earlier this month.

Despite running free for most of the way, Kopek Des Bordes took an impressive leap in the jumping department and pulled clear to beat stablemate Karniquet by 13 lengths to become Supreme favourite.

Those against Kopek Des Bordes will look to a key 90% Supreme Novices’ Hurdle trend that he’ll need to overcome.

WATCH: Kopek Des Bordes wins the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle

Tuesday – Mares’ Hurdle: Jade De Grugy

Jade De Grugy has tasted defeat just once in her career, coming in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at last year’s Cheltenham Festival but she will be a warm favourite to land the Mares’ Hurdle this time around after a winning return at Punchestown last week.

Following almost a year off the track, Jade De Grugy travelled strongly and put her rivals to bed with ease in the Grade 3 Quevega Mares’ Hurdle – posting a career-best RPR of 153 in the process.

Under the likely assumption both Brighterdaysahead and Lossiemouth head to the Champion Hurdle, there is little doubt Jade De Grugy will be the market leader in this race and give Townend another good chance of a winner.

WATCH: Jade De Grugy wins the Grade 3 Quevega Mares Hurdle

Tuesday – Champion Hurdle: State Man/Lossiemouth

Nicky Henderson‘s Constitution Hill is the one to beat in the Champion Hurdle but considering the mountain of issues the horse has battled over the last year, plenty of punters will be keen to take him on with the mount of Paul Townend.

Again assuming this is the race Lossiemouth heads for, Townend will have the choice of riding her or reigning Champion Hurdler State Man. Lossiemouth is considerably shorter than her stablemate in the betting, but that doesn’t mean she will be the one Townend opts for.

Faced with the same dilemma, the six-time Irish Champion Jockey chose State Man in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown earlier this month and following Lossiemouth’s fall in that race it’s hard to see him making the switch.

Regardless of which horse he chooses, it’s safe to assume they will be at best third-favourite in the betting behind Constitution Hill and Gordon Elliott‘s Brighterdaysahead.

WATCH: State Man wins the Grade 1 Irish Champion Hurdle

Wednesday – Turners Novices’ Hurdle: Final Demand

The opening race on Wednesday is the Turners Novices’ Hurdle and Final Demand is another hot favourite for Townend and Mullins after an impressive victory in the Grade 1 Golden Cygnet Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.

On just his second start under rules, the six-year-old pulled clear by 12 lengths in the race and immediately shot to the head of the Turners market where his biggest rivals include Dan Skelton‘s The New Lion and Elliott’s The Yellow Clay.

While that may not have been the strongest race, the manner in which he took the spoils was undoubtedly imposing and barring something unforeseen, Final Demand will be another strong favourite for Townend at the Cheltenham Festival.

WATCH: Final Demand wins the Grade 1 Golden Cygnet Novice Hurdle

Wednesday – Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase: Ballyburn

Ballyburn is likely to be one of the highest-punted horses at the festival this year in the Brown Advisory after his victory in the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Novice Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Tried at 2m3f and 2m in his first two starts over fences, Ballyburn’s leisurely style led the Closutton team to explore a longer trip and the 3m test looks tailor-made for his approach to racing.

He won the Turners Novices’ Hurdle on this day at the festival last year and the undulating nature of the Cheltenham track with a stiff finish should play to his strengths.

WATCH: Ballyburn wins the Grade 1 Ladbrokes Novice Chase

Friday – Gold Cup: Galopin Des Champs

One of, if not the most popular horse in training is Galopin Des Champs who will bid for a third consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cup triumph at the festival this year and in of odds, this is Townend’s best chance at a winner.

Many believe the renewal is the weakest Galopin Des Champs has been a part of and following two straight Grade 1 wins in the Savills Chase at Christmas and the Irish Gold Cup on February 1st, he couldn’t be arriving in better order.

The nine-year-old still looks to have plenty more in the tank and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him come back next year with a leading chance at a fourth Cheltenham Gold Cup too.

If Townend wins the race this year, he will sur the legendary Pat Taaffe who won four Gold Cups in the 1960s. While the horse will be hoping to become the first treble winner of the race since Best Mate.

WATCH: Galopin Des Champs wins the Grade 1 Irish Gold Cup

Paul Townend Cheltenham Festival Record

The Cork-born pilot has ridden 34 Cheltenham Festival winners (26 Grade 1s) to date, more than any other current jockey. He saddled five winners in 2020, 2022 and 2023 before reaching a career-high six in 2024.

Below are listed each of Townend’s festival winners from his first on the Arthur Moore-trained What A Charm in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle back in 2011, to his most recent success aboard Galopin Des Champs last year.