Paul Townend – Jockey Profile

Here is our profile of five-time Irish Champion Jump Jockey Paul Townend. 

We look at his current rides, big wins, history and more.

Find out more about Paul Townend:

Key Stats of P.Townend

• Name – Paul Townend
• Date of Birth – 15 September 1990
• Birthplace – Middleton, County Cork
• Big Wins:  Cheltenham Gold Cup (2), Queen Mother Champion Chase, Arkle Trophy, RSA Chase, Supreme Novices Hurdle, Ballymore Novices Hurdle, Champion Bumper, Mares Hurdle, Stayers Hurdle, Triumph Hurdle (2), Ryanair Chase (2), Punchestown Gold Cup, Hatton’s Grace Hurdle, Irish Champion Hurdle, Morgiana Hurdle (3), Clarence House Chase and many more top National Hunt prizes in Great Britain and Ireland.
• Nationality – Irish
• Age – 33 years old
• Height – 5’10
• Networth – Around 5 Million
• Wife – Anna Paoletti

Jockey Profile of Paul Townend

Townend’s first winner was on The Chip Chopman at Limerick on 22 June 2007.

After riding as second jockey to the powerful Willie Mullins stable, Townend stepped almost seamlessly into the role as number 1 rider upon the retirement of Ruby Walsh in 2019. Townend had underlined his claims by riding Al Boum Photo to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup that season, a race that had previously eluded Mullins.

Mullins saddled a record ten winners at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival. Townend rode five of them; Energumene (Queen Mother Champion Chase), Sir Gerhard (Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle), Vauban (Triumph Hurdle), State Man (County Hurdle) and Allaho (Ryanair Chase). Those victories gave Townend a second Cheltenham Festival jockeys title having previously won it in 2020.

Paul Townend – Key Jockey Stats

Paul Townend won the Irish Champion Jump Jockeys’ title for the first time in 2010-11 with 80 winners.

He did not win it again until 2018-19 when he rode 109 winners, his best-ever tally. He has not relinquished his title since, retaining it for four consecutive seasons.

In 2020-21 he recorded his third consecutive century of winners in a season.

His first major association was with the two-time Champion Hurdle winner Hurricane Fly. He rode the horse to win the 2008 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle and Future Champion Novice Hurdle.

Townend also rode Hurricane Fly to win the Irish Champion Hurdle in 2007, a race he would win for the next four years with Ruby Walsh in the saddle.

Paul Townend Big Race Wins

Paul Townend hit the headlines for the wrong reasons with Al Boum Photo at Punchestown in 2018. He mistakenly thought he was to bypass the final fence, throwing away a winning chance in the Champion Novice Chase. He and the horse made amends in spectacular fashion with two Cheltenham Gold Cup victories.

Townend won the Stayers’ Hurdle on Penhill in 2018 and claimed his first Queen Mother Champion Chase with Energumene in 2022.

Min provided the jockey with his first Ryanair Chase in 2020 and he also won it Allaho in 2022. He starts the 2023 Cheltenham meeting with 21 Festival winners already under his belt.

Paul Townend’s Most Famous Victories

Al Boum Photo’s first Gold Cup in 2019 ended a long wait for Willie Mullins. He started at odds of 12-1 and the stable had three other runners which all failed to complete the course. Al Boum Photo successfully defended his title the following season with Townend driving him out to repel Santini by a neck.

Townend kicked off Cheltenham Gold Cup 2022 with a Triumph Hurdle win aboard 6-4 favourite Vauban. He then rode a confident race aboard State Man to land a gamble in the County Hurdle. Mullins finished the day with a remarkable five-timer.

Summary of Jump Jockey Paul Townend

Townend has won all of the major races at the Festival meeting with the exception of the Champion Hurdle.

He looks likely to have a big chance in that race in 2023 with State Man and is hot favourite to retain his Irish jump jockeys’ title for a fifth consecutive season.

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