As a National Hunt jockey it is hard to imagine there’s a better job than being stable jockey to the Willie Mullins team. That honour goes to four-time Gold Cup winner Paul Townend.

Townend stepped seamlessly into the stirrups vacated by the great Ruby Walsh on the latter's retirement.

Townend does take outside rides but why would he want or need to do so with the armoury at his trainer's disposal.

The man from Midleton, in south-east County Cork, originally joined Mullins as an apprentice Flat jockey. He waited in the wings behind Walsh for what might have seemed an eternity to the young man, still picking up some super rides at big Festivals, but always after Ruby had taken first pick.

Despite that, he was still able to win the Irish jump jockeys' title in 2010-11, when his friend and colleague was still riding.

He's since added five more championships to his CV and there will surely be several more to come if he can stay injury free.

Townend has won the Cheltenham Gold Cup four times, the Queen Mother Champion Chase twice, the Champion Hurdle once and the Grand National once.

He now has 34 winners at the Cheltenham Festival and has been the leading jockey there in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

 

Cheltenham Gold Cup winners

One thing he has done that sets him apart from Walsh is that he's ridden the winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup for Mullins, not once, but twice in successive years on Al Boum Photo (2019, 2020) and then again in 2023 and 2024 with Galopin Des Champs.

 

Cheltenham Festival winners

He has a long way to go to overhaul Ruby Walsh's tally of 59 Cheltenham Festival winners, but by the end of the 2024 meeting he had 34 Festival wins to his name.

The first of those came on What A Charm, who won the 2011 running of the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices' Handicap Hurdle.

He had to wait four years before his next whiff of Prestbury Park success, riding three winners at the 2015 meeting.

Other highlights among his tally to date include an Arkle on Duc des Genievres (2019), a Stayers' Hurdle on Penhill (2019), a Triumph Hurdle on Burning Victory (2020), a Champion Bumper on Ferny Hollow (2020), and Broadway Novices' Chase on Monkfish (2021).

In 2020, he picked up the award for leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival, having ridden five winners at the meeting.

 

He was leading jockey again in 2022 and 2023 with five winners in both Festivals.

Townend went one better in 2024 with six, including State Man in his first Champion Hurdle win.

 

Grand National glory

Townend finally tasted Grand National success in 2024 on an emphatic winning favourite I Am Maximus,

I Am Maximus and Townend stormed clear of his rivals to give the all-conquering Willie Mullins a second victory in the Aintree showpiece.

Successful with Hedgehunter 19 years ago, Mullins was responsible for eight of the 32 who headed to post in Liverpool, but I Am Maximus was well-touted to follow up last year’s success in the Irish Grand National.

An impressive tune-up in the Bobbyjo Chase saw punters latch onto the Grade One-winning eight-year-old and Townend rode the 7/1 market leader with supreme confidence down the inner as I Am Maximus showed no sign of previous jumping frailties.

In a race with early drama when defending champion Corach Rambler unshipped Derek Fox at the very first fence, there were a plethora still in contention heading down to two out, where I Am Maximus was inching into contention.

However, the complexion of the race would change at the elbow where I Am Maximus scooted clear of the Rachael Blackmore-ridden Minella Indo and the staying-on Delta Work, who picked up second place in his third attempt at the famous race.

I Am Maximus wins the 2024 #GrandNational 🏇🏆

What a race 🙌🤩

pic.twitter.com/nFEJSvBUeZ

— Mail Sport (@MailSport) April 13, 2024

Mullins said: “It was an excellent ride. I had said before the race that we didn’t know how good this horse was, today he showed that he’s better than he had been. I thought he still had a little bit from the handicapper after the Bobbyjo and he’s proved it today.

“Paul was excellent, he kidded him round the inside, he got chopped up a couple of times and probably didn’t jump as clean as he could, but he was looking for the gaps and when he eventually got it he was all right.

“I could see Paul’s body language and he was happy, so I was happy then. I don’t think I said anything until he got over the last and then I let go (and gave him a cheer)."

A jubilant Townend said: “At halfway he was a bit careful with his jumping, but we just built his confidence back up again and then going over the last two I had the four horses in front of me that I wanted in front of me. I was hoping when I pulled him out that he’d pick up and go and he did.

“This is a special place, you grew up building Grand National fences built out of whatever you could get your hands on. It’s a dream to win it. You build a course and your ponies probably know when it’s National time as you’d have the green fences out! It’s just a race that captures the imagination.

“The feeling passing the line is up there with the best I’ve had, but it’s a different feeling. Grade Ones are extra special and tactical and in the Irish National and English National you need a bit of luck, the feeling winning this is unique.

“It’s a special feeling when they start picking up passing the elbow. You honestly don’t hear any of the noise from the crowd, at that stage you’re in full drive and you’re not thinking of anything other than getting to the lollipop stick (winning post) before something passes you.

“I have to pinch myself all the time to be honest. It’s fairytale stuff.”

Paying tribute to his jockey and the National as a whole, Mullins said: “Paul is riding so well at the moment and that comes with confidence, you see that in all sports, Paul just sees things other jockeys won’t."

 

Big races in Ireland

Townend has already ridden the winner of many of the big races in his native Ireland.

Standouts include four Irish Arkles, three Champion Stayers Hurdle, two Christmas Hurdles, a Hatton's Grace Hurdle, a John Durkan Memorial Chase, an Irish Champion Hurdle, five Punchestown Champion Chases and two Punchestown Champion Hurdle.

Galopin Des Champs won him his first Irish Gold Cup in 2023 and the partnership did it again in 2024.

His first Irish Grand National win came on I Am Maximus in 2023.

 

Best known horses

Al Boum Photo, Douvan, Hurricane Fly, Quevega, Penhill, Chacun Pour Soi, Monkfish, Appreciate It, Laurina, Duc Des Genievres, Glens Melody, Min, Nichols Canyon, Yorkhill, Killultagh Vic, Champagne Fever, Thousand Stars, Boston Bob, Djakadam, Vautour, Mikael D'Haguenet, Blackstairmountain, What A Charm, Golden Silver, Unaccompanied, Wicklow Brave, Final Approach, Blazing Tempo, On His Own, Arctic Fire, Cadmium, Gaillard Du Mesnil, Energumene, Klassical Dream, Galopin Des Champs, I Am Maximus