Ruby Walsh, the record
holder, enjoyed two winners at The Festival in 2012 as did A P (Tony) McCoy,
the 17-time champion Jump jockey, but it was Barry Geraghty, who landed the
Thomas Pink Award for being the most successful rider over the four days in March
with five victories.
Geraghty's total number of
winners at The Festival jumped to 25, putting him in third place among current
jockeys and equal third since 1945. He also enjoyed five victories at The
Festival when leading jockey in 2003.
Walsh's successes in 2012
were on horses that made history by winning for the fourth consecutive time in
their races, Quevega in the OLBG Mares Hurdle and Big Buck's in the Ladbrokes
World Hurdle.
He became the most
successful jockey ever at The Festival in 2010, when surpassing the previous
record of 25 winners held by the late Pat Taaffe. Walsh, now on 34 Festival
victories, has captured the Thomas Pink Leading Rider Award six times. McCoy is
in second place with a total of 27 Festival successes.
NICK
SCHOLFIELD INSPIRED BY FIRST CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL SUCCESS
Since riding his first winner in an amateurs' race at Newbury in 2006,
Nick Scholfield has established himself as one of Jump racing's brightest young
talents.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed big-race success on Taranis in the 2010
Argento Chase and also landed valuable handicaps on Border Castle, Cornish
Sett, Natal and New Little Bric, but came of age when steering Hunt Ball to a
facile eight-length demolition of his rivals in last season's Pulteney Land
Investments Novices' Handicap Chase at The Festival.
Reflecting on his first Festival triumph, Scholfield said: "It was
a big turning point for me to get my first Cheltenham Festival success out of
the way.
"The feeling of winning is every bit as good as everyone says it
is. The Cheltenham Festival is the highlight of the season and to get your name
on the winners' board means everything.
"It's every jockey's dream. I was lucky enough to ride at previous
Festivals and it makes you realise how fierce the competition is and how hard
it is to bag that winner."
Hunt Ball, owned by dairy farmer Anthony Knott and trained by former
jockey Keiran Burke, who was in his first season training, started last season
with a rating of 69 but, after stringing together six wins from seven starts,
he went to Cheltenham with a rating of 142.
As a result of this momentous 73lb rise in the handicap, Hunt Ball
carried 12 stone in the Pulteney Land Investments Novices' Handicap Chase but
his pilot's confidence never waned and, after settling his mount behind the
leaders, the pair stormed clear up the famous Cheltenham hill.
"Obviously, the racing at Cheltenham is very competitive and you
need a lot of luck in running around there but everything went as I
hoped," revealed Scholfield. "I knew Hunt Ball was my best chance of
the week. I really felt he could be the one to get me that first winner and he
duly obliged.
"It was a rags to riches story and we had a good public following
so it was great to win. It takes a while to sink in but you do get a fantastic
buzz out of it."
The jockey has continued in fine form this season, securing his first
Grade One on Melodic Rendezvous in the Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown Park (January
5) and surpassing his previous best tally of winners before Christmas.
"This has been my best season so far and I'm sure that was helped
by having a high-profile winner at the Cheltenham Festival," he added.
Scholfield, whose father Philip was British champion point-to-point
rider in 1988/89, already has three high-profile rides to look forward to at
this year's Festival headed by Melodic Rendezvous.
The seven-year-old was among the best bumper horses around last season
and, after a narrow reverse on his hurdling debut at Exeter, he scored
decisively at Cheltenham in December on route to an impressive four and a half
length victory in the Tolworth Hurdle.
Melodic Rendezvous, trained by Jeremy Scott, holds entries in the
William Hill Supreme Novices' Hurdle over two miles and the Neptune Investment
Management Novices' Hurdle over five furlongs further.
"Melodic Rendezvous gave me my first Grade One win at Sandown -
that was another special day - and I am very much looking forward to riding him
in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle," admitted Scholfield.
"He shows me plenty of speed and has won over the course and
distance so that is very much the race we will be looking at.
"He is going to run at Exeter on Sunday (February 10) and that will
be a stepping stone to Cheltenham. He won't be fully wound up for the race but
hopefully it will set him up nicely.
"He has coped with soft and heavy ground well and we wouldn't be
worried if it came up like that at The Festival, but if the ground is better,
that wouldn't be a problem either because we have always thought he wanted
nicer ground."
Empiracle, a strapping son of 2003 Epsom Derby hero Kris Kin who is also
trained by Jeremy Scott, was not extended to win a competitive bumper at
Huntingdon in October and is being lined up for a tilt at the Weatherbys
Champion Bumper.
"Empiracle's form is probably nowhere near good enough but he shows
us a lot at home and Jeremy has educated him well," continued Scholfield.
"I shouldn't think only having one run will be a problem and he has
some new owners so it will be nice for them to enjoy The Festival experience and
go there with a good chance.
"He is more of a staying type than Melodic Rendezvous. He is a
lovely horse to look at and should make a lovely chaser in time."
Hunt Ball has been pitched into Graded races this term but has not been
disgraced with placed efforts in the rearranged Grade Two Peterborough Chase at
Kempton Park over Christmas and the Grade Two Argento Chase at Cheltenham on
January 26.
His colourful owner had long harboured Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup
ambitions but recently revealed the dream is over and with it plenty of
long-priced ante-post wagers.
The Byrne Group Plate Handicap Chase, run over two miles and five
furlongs on St Patrick's Thursday, March 14, is now Hunt Ball's preferred
Festival option.
"Hunt Ball will be running of 157 in the Bryne Group Plate which is
a very high mark and it will be difficult to give that amount of weight away,
but he didn't seem stay in the Argento and the Ryanair looks very
competitive," conceded Scholfield.
"Hopefully, the touch of class he has will count for a lot in a
handicap and he carried 12 stone up the hill last year and the weight wasn't
stopping him then.
"I think he is very good at that trip - obviously, he won over the
course and distance last year - and let's hope he can defy the weight and bag
another win."
Previous winners of the Thomas Pink Leading Rider Award are listed below, with current jockeys in bold.
2012 Barry Geraghty (5)
2011 Ruby Walsh (5)
2010 Ruby Walsh (3)
2009 Ruby Walsh (7)
2008 Ruby Walsh (3)
2007 Robert Thornton (4)
2006 Ruby Walsh (3)
2005 Graham Lee (3)
2004 Ruby Walsh (3)
2003 Barry Geraghty (5)
2002 Richard Johnson (2)
2001 Cancelled - foot & mouth
2000 Mick Fitzgerald (4)
1999 Mick Fitzgerald (4)
1998 A P McCoy (5)
1997 A P McCoy (3)
1996 Richard Dunwoody (2)
1995 Norman Williamson (4)
1994 Charlie Swan (3)
1993 Charlie Swan (4)
1992 Jamie Osborne (5)
1991 Peter Scudamore (2)
1990 Richard Dunwoody (2)
1989 Tom Morgan (2)
1988 Simon Sherwood (2)
1987 Peter Scudamore (2)
1986 Peter Scudamore (2)
1985 Steve Smith Eccles (3)
1984 Jonjo O'Neill (2)
1983 Graham Bradley (2)
1982 Jonjo O'Neill (1)
1981 John Francome (3)
1980 Mr Jim Wilson (3)
LEADING CURRENT JOCKEYS AT THE FESTIVAL
Ruby Walsh 34
A P McCoy 27
Barry Geraghty 25
Richard Johnson 18
Robert Thornton 16
Paul Carberry 12
Davy Russell 9
Timmy Murphy 8
Paddy Brennan 6
Graham Lee 5
Jason Maguire 5
Miss Nina Carberry 4
Andrew Lynch 4
Mr J T McNamara 4
TOP JOCKEYS AT THE FESTIVAL (SINCE 1945, CURRENT JOCKEYS IN BOLD)
Ruby Walsh 34
A P McCoy 27
Pat Taaffe 25
Barry Geraghty 25
Richard Dunwoody 18
Richard Johnson 18
Charlie Swan 17
Fred Winter 17
Tommy Carberry 16
Robert Thornton 16
Mick Fitzgerald 14
Peter Scudamore 13
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