One’s a Charm for Townend
It came just over 24 hours after he had, to paraphrase his own words, looked on from a distance at Hurricane Fly’s tail as Ruby Walsh guided Willie Mullins’ fancy to victory in the Champion Hurdle.
Townend had partnered Hurricane Fly throughout the winter while Walsh had nursed a broken leg before handing the bridle to the champion jockey for March Madness here on the Cotswolds.
The young man from Cork dealt with the disappointment as admirably as he had Hurricane Fly in a stream of Grade One victories and even offered some words of wisdom to Walsh prior to saddling up alongside him on Thousand Stars.
As Walsh said at the time, it was an impressive gesture from one so young.
“I was delighted and very proud to ride Hurricane Fly for so long while Ruby was out and I was delighted for Ruby and Willie and the owners,” said Townend after riding his first ever festival winner at the tender age of 20. “He really showed how good he is to win that race.”
The same could be said for the jockey who shrugged off further enquiries as to his disappointment on Tuesday with few words and a demeanour that spoke volumes for his maturity off the track.
“That’s racing,” was all he offered. “He (Hurricane Fly) was going well but this definitely makes up for it anyway.”
It was a belated gift for trainer Arthur Moore who made a late decision to enter the filly in the race and the call to book Townend for the ride was equally late in the day. Both men have reason to be grateful now.
“This is unbelievable,” said Townend. “I couldn’t have dreamed anything like this. She is real tough. She galloped right to the top of the hill and, to be fair, I was able to go wherever I wanted in the race. She was tough at the finish. It will take a while to sink in.”
He may not have much of that. Following Hurricane Fly’s win, Willie Mullins promised that he was going to do everything in his power to ensure that Townend would end the year as Ireland’s top jockey. He already enjoys a sizeable lead in that competition and it seems he can now expect a number of other enviable rides despite the return to active duty of Walsh.
“I don’t know about that,” he chuckled. “I can’t complain now anyway.”
At the other end of the age spectrum was the winning owner Chris Jones who, at 86, was present and correct in the winner’s enclosure and not for the first time in partnership with trainer Arthur Moore.
“We rode her wrong in her first three races,” said Moore. “We were still learning about her but everything went perfect this time. We liked the way she was handicapped and she travels very well.
“It is a big thrill for (the owner) Chris Jones who is 86. This is his fourth win here with us and it’s all the better because we didn’t even think we would be here with her four weeks ago.”
