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Paul Townend

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Not to be confused with Paul Townsend.

Paul Townend (born 15 September 1990) is an Irish jockey who competes in National Hunt racing. Townend comes from Lisgoold in County Cork[1] and is the stable jockey for Irish trainer Willie Mullins. Townend has worked for Mullins since he was just fifteen years of age, beginning his career as an apprentice flat racing jockey. He is a six-time Irish jump racing Champion Jockey. He was champion in the 2010–11, 2018–19, 2019–20,[2] 2020–21, 2021–22, and 2022–23 seasons.

In 2019 he gave Willie Mullins his first Cheltenham Gold Cup winner with Al Boum Photo and he repeated this success in 2020.[3] He recorded his third and fourth win in the race on Galopin Des Champs in 2023 and 2024. He is bidding for history in 2025 going for three back to back Gold Cup victories. Following the retirement of Ruby Walsh, Townend became the number-one jockey to the Mullins yard.[4]

Early life

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When Townend was 15 his mother Josephine died of cancer.[5] He his Junior Cert, he took Transition Year out. Townend's first cousin, David Condon, was a jockey in Willie Mullins’ yard at the time, and he took Paul under his wing. He never returned to school and has been a jockey ever since.

Career

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In July 2008 Townend had his first winner over jumps.[5] He rode Indian Pace to victory in the Galway Hurdle. In November he rode Hurricane Fly in the Royal Bond Novice Hurdle to win his first grade one. On New years Eve he rode out his claim by winning a treble at Tramore.[6]

In the 2011 Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle he rode What a Charm to get his first Cheltenham Festival winner. In the 2010/11 season Townend became Irish jump racing Champion Jockey at the age of 20 for the first time.[5]

At day one of the 2018 Punchestown Festival Townend picked up a 21 day ban for dangerous riding when he tried to bypass a fence that was meant to be jumped which caused Robbie Powers horse to be carried out.[7] However the ban did not take effect until the start of the 2018/19 season.[8] This meant Townend was able to get a treble the next day on Pravalaguna, Next Destination and Patricks Park.[8] In March 2019 Townend rode Al Boum Photo in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He won by 2 1/2 lengths to give both Townend and Willie Mullins a first win in this race. Later in March Townend then rode his 100th Irish winner of the season in Clonmel to move further ahead of his nearest rival Rachael Blackmore.[9] This was the first time Townend rode a century of Irish winners in a season.[9] At the end of the 2018/19 season Townend became Irish jump racing Champion Jockey for the second time.

In 2020 Paul Townend became top jockey at the Cheltenham Festival for the first time. He had 5 winners including Al Boum Photo in the Cheltenham Gold Cup again. At the end of the 2019/20 season Townend became Irish jump racing Champion Jockey for the third time.

In April 2024, Townend and Mullins won the Randox Grand National on favourite horse I Am Maximus, owned by JP McManus.

Personal Life

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Townend lives in Co Kilkenny with his girlfriend Sophie Vard Ryan and three Shetland ponies.[10]

Cheltenham Festival winners (34)

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Major wins

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Republic of Ireland Ireland

United Kingdom Great Britain

United States United States

France France

References

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  1. ^ "Cork's Paul Townend rides his fourth Cheltenham winner this week on Lossiemouth". Evening Echo.ie. Evening Echo. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Paul Townend". Horse Racing Ireland. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Al Boum Photo wins Willie Mullins his first Cheltenham Gold Cup". Guardian. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  4. ^ "Unassuming number one Townend comfortable in his own skin". lwww.irishtimes.com. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Richard Forristal (12 December 2017). "Big interview with the man set to ride Douvan and Faugheen over Christmas". www.racingpost.com. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  6. ^ Richard Forristal (7 March 2009). "Townend's teenage kicks". Independent.ie. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  7. ^ "Panicked Townend apologises for 'genuine mistake'". 25 April 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Punchestown: Townend treble banishes Tuesday blues". 25 April 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Clonmel win seals maiden century for Paul Townend". 26 March 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  10. ^ Gloss, The (28 April 2024). "Interview with A Man: Paul Townend". The Gloss Magazine. Retrieved 16 July 2024.


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