Paul Townend capped incredible Chelthenham week with Gold Cup win

Paul Townend completed a rare clean sweep of the top three prizes at the Cheltenham Festival when Gaelic Warrior landed the Cheltenham Gold Cup last Friday afternoon. 

The Lisgoold rider had already taken the Champion Hurdle with Lossiemouth and the Champion Chase with Il Etait Temps earlier in the week.

Mullins and Townend were winning the Gold Cup for the fifth time in eight runnings, having teamed up previously with Al Boum Photo and Galopin Des Champs who both won the race twice.

Townend took the ride from Patrick Mullins when Galopin Des Champs was ruled out of the race and said: "Oh my God I'm speechless. We were dealt a big blow with Galopin Des Champs coming out. I was lucky enough for this lad to be coming along. Patrick was convinced he was the horse for the race. 

It's a huge team effort. I was just the fortunate one to be on his back."

"I got the position I wanted. He jumped from fence to fence. I didn't ever envisage being in front going as well turning in but I wasn't going to slow him down after jumping the third-last. It was just a matter of not falling off in the straight."

Winning the Gold Cup had long been an ambition for American owner Rich Ricci, who said: "I'm absolutely thrilled. It's emotional, I don't know what to say really. It's a magic experience, it's what you live for."

Townend was crowned Champion Jockey for the week and his boss Willie Mullins equalled Tom Dreaper's record of five Gold Cups and became just the second trainer to win Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup at the same festival after Henry De Bromhead in 2021. 

The Irish won the Presbury Cup with a narrow 15 to 13 victory. There is no doubt that the Irish dominance of Cheltenham has come to an end and English racing is very much on the way back.

Dunmanway jockey Gavin Sheehan was also among the winners on the final day when he brilliantly steered Johnny’s Jury to victory in the Albert Bartlett Novice Hurdle for his boss Jamie Snowden. 

Sheehan has been based in England for many years now and his last major success was riding Hewick to King George success at Kempton in 2023. But his association with Snowden has gone from strength to strength and the winning trainer was fulsome in his praise of the Cork man.

“It’s fabulous to win here. We never planned to be at the back, but it was a bit of a mess at the start once again. 

He’s travelled through the race and jumped great and there’s no better man than Gavin Sheehan to adapt to any situation. 

"We’ve gone through a lot of things over the last few years and it’s wonderful to have another Grade One winner and certainly at Cheltenham it’s amazing.” 

FRUSTRATING

Jimmy Mangans Spillanes Tower was a late withdrawal in the Gold Cup due to the ground conditons which was bitterly disappointing for all the team at his Conna base. Owner JP McManus withdrew hot favourite Fact To File from the Ryanair chase on Thursday and expressed his disappointment with the ground conditions and the lack of watering. The McManus team then decided to withdraw Spillanes Tower on the final day for the same reason.

A clearly disappointed Jimmy Mangan said: “The ground is still on the quick side, especially down the hill. It’s very disappointing because he loved the place in January, but what can you do? 

"I’ll speak to Frank Berry and see where we go next. We have the big festivals at Aintree and Punchestown still to come so hopefully we get a bit of softer ground then. ”