CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 2023: Three in-form jockeys
The roar of the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is less than a week away and punters across the land are sharpening their pencils and finalising their fancies for this year’s Cheltenham Festival.
Plenty of factors affect anyone’s choice of horses in every race, but one that has to be considered is jockey form heading into the biggest four days of the national hunt season.
Therefore BestofBets will be highlighting three riders who have been experiencing a mustard run of form lately.
NICO DE BOINVILLE
The stable jockey at Seven Barrows could have a very successful week at jump racing’s Olympics this year as Nico de Boinville should have a good book of rides from the flag fall of the Supreme Novices Hurdle to the weighed-in chime of the Martin Pipe.
Constitution Hill, Jonbon, and Marie’s Rock are just three of the horses that the Gold Cup-winning jockey could be riding on just the first day of the Festival.
Add Shishkin, Luccia, and Walking On Air into that mix and de Boinville could have a very live chance of taking home the jockeys’ title for the week.
Having won the Grade 1 Ascot Chase with Shishkin in mid-February, de Boinville has fired in three winners from his last six rides, so if he can continue this into next week, he will be on great form.
JORDAN GAINFORD
Moving over to Ireland, Jordan Gainford has had a terrible time hitting the post in recent weeks, having ridden seven seconds, three thirds, and just two winners from his last 25 mounts.
The Irish jockey is two from six over in the UK this season to go alongside his 29 winners back over the water, a campaign that has included Grade 1 success on Gerri Colombe in both the Scilly isles Novices’ Chase at Sandown and Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick and victory in the American Grand National on Hewick in October.
With Jack Kennedy out of the Festival through injury and Davy Russell back to take over the reins, Gainford will be picking up plenty of rides for Gordon Elliott and other trainers throughout the week, so he is one to be on the side of for sure.
