Paul Townend has rapidly risen up to the very upper echelons of the Irish National Hunt weighing room. He has shown a level of talent and maturity far beyond his years and his integration into the all-conquering operation of Willie Mullins has been seamless. Already a regular visitor to the Grade 1 winner’s enclosure, he is considered the natural successor to Ruby Walsh and looks sure to stay at the very top of the sport for many years to come.
Principal Trainer: Willie Mullins
Notable Wins:
- Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (What A Charm 2011)
- Bobbyjo Chase (The Midnight Club 2011)
- paddypower.com Novice Hurdle (Dare To Doubt 2011)
- paddypower.com Chase (Golden Silver 2011)
- Spring Juvenile Hurdle (Unaccompanied 2011)
- Moscow Flyer Novice Hurdle (Gagewell Flyer 2011)
- Tied Cottage Chase (Golden Silver 2011)
- Galmoy Hurdle (Mourad 2011)
- BHP Insurances Irish Champion Hurdle (Hurricane Fly 2010)
- Normans Grove Chase (Golden Silver 2011)
- MCR Hurdle (Final Approach 2011)
- December Festival Hurdle (Hurricane Fly 2010)
- Christmas Hurdle (Mourad 2010)
- Hatton’s Grace Hurdle (Hurricane Fly 2010)
- Royal Bond Novice Hurdle (Zaidpour 2010, Hurricane Fly 2008)
- Hilly Way Chase (Golden Silver 2010 + 2009)
- Lismullen Hurdle (Oscar Dan Dan 2010)
- Rabobank Champion Hurdle (Hurricane Fly 2010)
- World Series Hurdle (Quevega 2010)
- Boylesports.com Champion Chase (Golden Silver 2010)
- Evening Herald Champion Novice Hurdle (Blackstairmountain 2010)
- Dan Moore Handicap Chase (Golden Silver 2010)
- Red Mills Chase (J’y Vole 2010)
- Dr. P.J. Moriarty Novice Chase (Citizen Vic 2010)
- Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase (Golden Silver 2010)
- Troytown Chase (Beroni 2009)
- Munster National (Treacle 2009)
- Leinster National National Handicap Chase (Emma Jane 2009)
- Arkle Perpetual Challenge Cup Novice Chase (Golden Silver 2009)
- Future Champion Novice Hurdle (Hurricane Fly 2008)
- Barry & Sandra Kelly Memorial Novice Hurdle (Mikael D’Haguenet 2008)
- Tara Hurdle (Shakervilz 2008)
- Leopardstown November Premier Handicap (Solwhit 2008)
- Joe McGrath EBF Premier Handicap (Emily Blake 2008)
- Naas October Premier Handicap (Menwaal 2008)
- Galway Hurdle (Indian Pace 2008)
Early Days
A native of Co Cork, Paul Townend is yet another graduate of the pony racing circuit that has gone on to great things on the racecourse. He hails from a strong racing background, with his uncle Bob Townend being a respected jockey in the 1970’s and 1980’s, in addition to his father owning and training point-to-pointers and both of his grandfathers also being former members of the training ranks. He proved to be a precocious talent on the pony racing circuit, riding an abundance of winners in that sphere and gaining valuable race riding experience, giving him the perfect preparation for a career in the saddle.
Having left school at 15, Townend became associated the Willie Mullins yard from the outset of his racecourse career, taking his first ride when partnering Temlett to finish third in a maiden at Ballinrobe on May 2nd 2007.The following month, he gained his first two wins in the space of four days on the Seamus O’Donnell-trained The Chip Chopman. The fast start to his career continued with two wins in late-July before he came to widespread attention when riding the strongly-backed favourite Emily Blake to win at the Galway Festival. He closed out his first season in grand style when riding a winner on the final day of the season at Dundalk.
Jumping Beckons
The 2008 Flat season saw Townend continue his rise up the ranks, riding a consistent stream of winners that more than kept him in the public eye. However, it was his decision to turn his attentions to the National Hunt sphere, a decision that was always going to have to be made due to his increasing weight, which proved to be instrumental in him being propelled into the international limelight. That decision saw him reap almost immediate big-race rewards, as he gained an extremely high-profile success when riding the John Kiely-trained Indian Pace to win the Galway Hurdle in late-July. Back on the Flat, Townend gained two valuable wins in the space of a week in mid-October, winning the Naas October Premier Handicap on the Mick Murphy-trained Menwaal and the Joe McGrath EBF Premier Handicap on the John Hayden-trained Emily Blake and just a few short weeks later, he gave the Charles Byrnes-trained Solwhit a cool ride to win the prestigious November Handicap at Leopardstown. It was soon after that last-named win that Townend had a day over jumps that would have a massive influence on his career.
Opportunity Knocks
On November 15th, Townend excelled when completing a double for Mullins at Punchestown and just as significantly, on the very same day Ruby Walsh suffered a ruptured spleen in a fall at Cheltenham. That injury resulted in Townend being given the lion’s share of the Mullins rides, which resulted in a significantly increased level of success in a very short period of time. He only had to wait two weeks to open his Grade 1 account for the yard, riding Hurricane Fly to a notable success in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse. A few weeks later, he completed a notable double for the yard, winning the Grade 1 Barry & Sandra Kelly Memorial Novice Hurdle on Mikael D’Haguenet and the Grade 2 Tara Hurdle on Shakervilz. At the Christmas meeting at Leopardstown, Townend gained his second win at the highest level on Hurricane Fly when winning the Future Champion Novice Hurdle in immensely impressive fashion. Another Grade 1 win soon followed with him winning the Arkle Perpetual Challenge Cup Novice Chase at Leopardstown on the Mullins-trained Golden Silver to a hard-fought success. With Ruby Walsh back on the scene, Townend didn’t ride another Grade 1 winner for the remainder of that season, but the experience he gained in his lucrative first term over jumps would stand him in very good stead.
Another Successful Campaign
The 2009/10 campaign saw Townend easily better all the tallies he had established in his first campaign over jumps. He soon got off the big-race mark, riding the Tom Taaffe-trained Treacle to success in the valuable Munster National at Limerick in October. Townend gained another valuable handicap success the following month, riding the Willie Mullins-trained Beroni to an easy success in the Cork Grand National. His old friend Golden Silver helped him get off the Grade 1 mark for the campaign, winning the Paddy Power Dial-A-Bet Chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting and he doubled his tally at the highest level the following February, riding the Mullins-trained Citizen Vic to surprise success in the Dr. P.J. Moriarty Novice Chase at Leopardstown. Golden Silver once again provided him with a lucrative success at the Fairyhouse Easter Festival, winning the Dan Moore Handicap Chase in great style. Two days after that win, faith once again intervened with Ruby Walsh breaking his arm in a fall at Aintree and all of a sudden, Townend had an enviable book of rides to look forward to at the Punchestown Festival. Townend rose to the occasion and in a memorable few days, he gained Grade 1 wins on Blackstairmountain, Golden Silver, Quevega and Hurricane Fly. It was the perfect way to finish another successful season.
Further Grade 1 Glory
While Ruby Walsh returned to action in August, he had yet another setback when badly breaking his leg at Down Royal in early-November, once again putting Townend in a very strong position. Indeed, the very next day after Ruby’s injury, Townend got off the big-race mark for the season, riding the Tom Mullins-trained Oscar Dan Dan to success in the Grade 2 Lismullen Hurdle at Navan. A prolonged period of inclement weather intervened not long after that, but the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle meeting at Fairyhouse proved well worth the wait for Townend. Not only did he ride the winner of the feature race on Hurricane Fly, he also rode the Willie Mullins-trained Zaidpour to win the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle and the rearranged Grade 2 Hilly Way Chase on his old friend Golden Silver. While the weather again intervened soon after that, racing returned at Christmas and Townend once again came to the fore. He got off the big-race mark by riding the Willie Mullins-trained Mourad to win the Grade 2 Christmas Hurdle and better still was to come the following day, as he rode Hurricane Fly to an impressive success in the Grade 1 December Festival Hurdle.
The far side of Christmas proved to be just as lucrative for Townend, with him continuing to be a regular visitor to the big-race winner’s enclosure, with the Grade 1 highlight coming on the Dermot Weld-trained Unaccompanied in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at Leopardstown. The following month, Townend reached a notable milestone when riding his first winner at the Cheltenham Festival, partnering the Arthur Moore-trained What A Charm to success in the Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. While a broken collarbone in late-March briefly threatened to derail his bid for a first Champion Jockey title, Townend still held a healthy advantage on his return in late-April and he looks set to hold off the challenge of Davy Russell to secure a momentous first title win.
Despite the speed with which he has been thrust into the international spotlight, Paul Townend has coped remarkably well. With him looking set to secure his first Champion Jockey title, Paul Townend has the National Hunt world at his feet.
Info supplied by Horse Racing Ireland. May 2011.
