'I feel as good as I've ever felt' - can Jack Kennedy become champion jockey?

Jack Kennedy expressed that being champion jockey is something every rider dreams of but the 23-year-old said it is too early to be getting excited despite a blistering start to the new jumps season with 16 winners already on the board.

Kennedy has helped himself to 11 winners in the last fortnight, operating at a 33 per cent strike rate, and is already five clear of JJ Slevin at the top of the Irish jump jockeys table, with defending champion Paul Townend back in third.

Kennedy is an 8-1 shot with Paddy Power to win the championship for the first time this season but he is not getting carried away just yet.

Kennedy said: "Things have been going well for me over the past few weeks and Gordon [Elliott] has his team in unbelievable form. It's nice to get a start like I have and I suppose in the past I haven't got much of a run of things with injuries during the summer. It's nice to have got a clean run so far and I feel great. I feel as good as I've ever felt."

Elliott has supplied Kennedy with 14 of his 16 winners this season, but he has also been called upon by Noel Meade following his split with Sean Flanagan and guided Siberian Prince to victory in a beginners chase at Limerick last month. His other winner was Max Flamingo for Francis Casey at Killarney.

Gordon Elliott has supplied Jack Kennedy with 14 of his 16 wins so far this seasonCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

Kennedy said: "It's great to be picking up outside rides and I'm very grateful to everyone who has used me. Gordon's are flying, they're in serious order and, touch wood, they stay like that. The winners make the long drive home from meetings that little bit shorter."

When asked whether a challenge for the title is top of his wish list this season, Kennedy replied: "Everyone wants to be champion jockey but, to be honest, it hasn't crossed my mind yet. It's far too early to be thinking of things like that."

Kennedy only turned 23 at the end of April but he already has 33 Grade 1 wins on his CV, the most recent of which was Mighty Potter's victory in the Champion Novice Hurdle at the Punchestown festival.

Despite Kennedy's explosive start to the season, Paddy Power spokesman Paul Binfield believes he faces an uphill battle in trying to dethrone Townend.

Binfield said: "Jack Kennedy sure has come out of the traps fast and is making his intentions clear in no uncertain terms with a 33 per cent strike rate in the last fortnight. However, he'll need to be at the very top of his game to knock Paul Townend off his perch."

Paddy Power specials

8-1 Jack Kennedy to be champion jockey in 2022/2023
8-1 Jack Kennedy to be top jockey at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival
40-1 Jack Kennedy to ride 100 winners or more in the 2022/2023 season

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