Patience pays for Midleton’s finest jockey Paul Townend
YOU might say Ruby Walsh is the luckiest man alive having experienced the thrill of Douvan, Hurricane Fly, Quevega, Nichols Canyon, Yorkhill, Djakadam and Vautor. But Cork jockey Paul Townend can equally sit back years from now when the weighing scales are rusting in the corner and say he also rode the best horses of his generation.
Since riding his first winner on The Chip Chopman in Limerick in June 2007, the graph of success in the Midleton man’s career has pointed skywards. He started as an apprentice with Willie Mullins and has remained part of the furniture at the Co Carlow trainer’s yard ever since. Not a bad place to lay your hat, you might say.
But Being number 2 to Ruby Walsh in a yard like Willie’s is not the same as being reserve rider in any other yard. Ruby is one of the best jockeys of his age, but not even he can ride two horses at the same time. And with Willie’s second string occasionally indistinguishable from his first, it always leaves the door open for Paul.
“That’s true. Ruby doesn’t always pick the right one and the second string at Willie’s is probably as good as you’re going to get anywhere else if you’re the number one jockey. It’s been shown a few times in big Grade 1’s when Ruby does pick the wrong one that Willie’s second string often bounce up and be the best of the rest,” said Paul.
Paul first learned his trade in the windswept point-topoint fields around Cork and Limerick. His father Tim new a thing or two about horses, especially point-to-pointers, while his uncle Bob was a jockey. Paul’s grandfather Kevin also trained horses and to bring the family story full circle, former jump jockey Davy Condon is Paul’s cousin and it was he who introduced Paul to Willie Mullins. Pony racing has also served Paul’s career well and he was regularly seen cajoling them in the daisy covered fields around Castleisland and Dingle prior to becoming the Paul Townend we know today.
“I grew up surrounded by racing and going to point-topoints every Sunday and there was always horses at home. I have a horse background on both sides of the family so I suppose it was bred into me from the start. Mallow is the local track for us Cork lads and it’s always a special place to come and ride.”
Like all jump jockeys Paul has had days when the sun warmed his back and days when driving sleet slapped his face with a sting. Winning the Irish Jockeys’ Championship in 2010/11 aged 21 speaks for itself. But what else stands out and what horse is the best?
“I was fortunate to have some big days. But I guess the double at Cheltenham in 2015 with Glens Melody and Irish Cavalier was a big one. Aintree last year was a massive day. Ruby got hurt and I came in for the ride on Douvan and Yorkhill in two big Grade 1’s. The year up to that point hadn’t been going great for me, so that made it special. Douvan is the top of the list at the moment. The crowd he drew at Mallow the day he ran was massive and speaks for itself when a single horse can do that. He’s just different to normal horses.”
The three most important words in sport right now are Cheltenham, Cheltenham and Cheltenham. Paul isn’t exaggerating when he tells me the whole year is geared around this one week. But the Willie Mullins army is without its key warriors this festival and it’s sad to think Min, Faugheen and Annie Power will be back home in their box having a contented roll for themselves, oblivious to the thousands missing them at Cheltenham.
“Up to now we’re trying to find the best novices and trying to keep our main hopes in one piece which hasn’t gone well with some big names out. It’s a big loss for the whole yard, but at the same time that’s the game we’re in and we just have to get on with it. It’s still an exciting time and there’s still a lot of good horses from the yard travelling over next week.”
And as for Paul Townend? “It’s hard to know what I’ll be riding yet, especially given the position we’re in this year with injuries to the yard’s main stars. I’ll just have to wait for Ruby to make his pick and I’ll be there to make the best of what’s left. That’s just the way it’s always been.”
Which hasn’t been bad at all.