Paul Townend makes Cheltenham Gold Cup history on Gaelic Warrior

Townend ended Willie Mullins’ long wait for a first Gold Cup win in 2019.

Gaelic Warrior, with Paul Townend up, jumps the last on the way to winning the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

Gaelic Warrior made Paul Townend the most successful jockey in Gold Cup history when winning the Cheltenham Festival feature on Friday.

Townend went into the race sharing the honour with the great Pat Taaffe, who famously partnered the legendary Arkle to a Gold Cup hat-trick between 1964 and 1966 before adding another blue riband to his CV with Fort Leney in 1968.