Paul Townend set to be crowned National Hunt champion jockey after Punchestown 

The Punchestown Festival brings the curtain down on another thrilling national hunt season and Lisgoold’s Paul Townend will be crowned Champion Jockey tomorrow for the seventh time. 

It has been another incredible season for the Cork man who rode his 38th winner at Cheltenham back in March while a first King George win on Bandridge over Christmas will rank as one of the highlights of the season. 

Kopek Des Bordes got the Cheltenham Festival underway in a wave of emotion for the McCarthy family from Fermoy which also meant plenty to the champion jockey. Put simply Townend has been riding out of his skin this season comfortably going past the 100 winners mark for the season.

Earlier in the week at Punchestown it was great to see Mitchelstown’s Paul O’Brien come over from England and ride a first winner aboard Ascending Lark. 

This exciting mare has won six races in a row and came from well off the pace to deliver for up-and-coming English trainer Harry Derham.

"That was brilliant. Probably my first festival winner I guess you could say. Fantastic to come over here and a good training performance by Harry (Derham) to bring her on as well," O'Brien said,

”It didn't go to plan really at all. She didn't travel. She jumped okay but I was flat to the tin all the way.  She just started to come alive when we turned to face two out I guess, maybe half a mile out.

"She picked up really well from there. She was quick away from the last. I thought it was a good performance. The ground is just on the easy side of good. 

"It's lovely."

Elsewhere, on the card Marine Nationale cemented his place as the Champion chaser with a comfortable victory for Barry Connell and Sean Flanagan. 

Of course, this horse will always be associated with the late Michael O’Sullivan who famously guided him to numerous victories including the Supreme Novice Hurdle at Cheltenham. 

This season Marine Nationale has looked really good and backed up his Cheltenham Champion Chase success with another powerful display of jumping. 

This race was billed as one of the races of the week but unfortunately Fact To File didn’t run his race and finished a disappointing fourth.

Barry Connell said: “We missed a lot of our novice season last year so it was a slow build, and I felt the horse had improved every run and had improved again from Cheltenham and we were proved right. 

"He won doing a half-speed and I think this horse has all the attributes to be a multiple Champion Chase winner going forward.

“Our target is to win three and equal Badsworth Boy who is the only horse in history to win three Champion Chases despite all of the storied horses over the years. 

"He’s only eight and that’s his 12th run — he has no mileage on the clock, and he grows an extra leg in Cheltenham.” 

DOUBLE

Of course, there could be double delight for the Townend family tomorrow as Jody Townend looks set to hold off the challenge of Áine O’Connor in the race to become the leading lady rider. 

Jody is chasing her fifth title in a row and her eight winners at home this season include success on her subsequent Cheltenham Festival winner Bambino Fever in the Grade 2 Coolmore NH Sires EBF Mares INH Flat Race at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival in early February.

Finally, as the jump season finishes we have the opening Classic of the flat season at Newmarket. 

There was dramatic news during the week as the big Irish hope Twain was declared a major doubt for the race. 

Aidan O’Brien’s Betfred 2000 Guineas hope Twain was heading to the Rowley Mile as the Ballydoyle main contender for an 11th 2000 Guineas success after his remarkable efforts last autumn when winning a Group One in France just a week after a successful debut at Leopardstown.  However, an unsatisfactory scope on Tuesday morning has made a switch to the Irish equivalent more likely.  

A statement from owners Coolmore’s read: “Following his work this morning, Twain didn’t scope 100% so is unlikely to run in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and may now be aimed at the Irish 2,000 Guineas instead. 

"Expanded is likely to be Ballydoyle’s only runner in the 2,000 Guineas on Saturday.” 

Twain was the general second favourite behind John and Thady Gosden’s Field Of Gold in the 2000 Guineas betting, with the impressive Craven Stakes scorer now shortening into 7-4 favourite. 

Ballydoyle stablemate Expanded assumes Twain’s position as chief market rival and is 5-1 with the same firm.