Three of Paul Townend's best chances of victory at the Cheltenham Festival

With Ruby Walsh retiring in 2019, Paul Townend landed perhaps the best job any National Hunt racing jockey in the United Kingdom and Ireland could ask for — the role of being Willie Mullins’ number one rider! The 31-year-old has since proved to be one of the best jumps jockeys there is, winning two Gold Cups aboard Al Boum Photo in 2019 and 2020 and taking his own tally of winners at the prestigious Prestbury Park meeting to 15.

Having won the Top Jockey award with five winning rides in 2020, it looked like the beginning of a new period of dominance for Townend — similar to that of Walsh, who won 11 of the best jockey accolades between 2004 and 2017. However, it was Rachael Blackmore who stole the show last year, landing an impressive six winners across the four days — doubling her Irish counterparts’ tally of three.

With racegoers back in attendance at the Festival for the first time in two years, Townend will be hoping that the ‘Cheltenham Roar’ can spur him back to his best form and help him his get hands on that sought-after Top Jockey trophy for the second time. So, as he’s massively favoured with sites like Betdaq to regain his crown, let’s take a look at three of his best chances of doing so. 

Galopin Des Champs

One of the most exciting novices out there at the minute, Galopin Des Champs still has his options at the Festival, with entries in both the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase and the Turner Novices’ Chase, but with Bob Olinger more favoured in the latter, day two’s Grade 1 contest looks the more likely. Switched to chasing this season after three wins from six over hurdles, the six-year-old has won both his races this campaign with considerable ease — beating Ain’t That A Shame by 22 lengths in a Beginners Chase at Leopardstown in December before a nine-length triumph over Master McShee in a Grade 1 Novice Chase back at the track last month. It’s more of a question of how far Galopin Des Champs will win by rather than if he will win.

Vauban

Joint favourite with Pied Piper in the Triumph Hurdle ante-post market, Vauban is in with a solid chance of victory when he reignites his rivalry with the Gordon Elliott-trained horse in the opening race of Gold Cup Day. Trailing behind Pied Piper by half a length when they crossed the line in a Maiden Hurdle on New Year’s Eve, Townend blamed defeat on interreference all the way down the home straight. The Rich Ricci-owned horse, racing in the synonymous pink and green polka dots, bounced back with a Grade 1 victory in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle earlier this month and if he gets a clearer run at Prestbury Park, he should have enough to hold off Pied Piper.

Blue Lord

The Arkle promises to be an exciting race, with Edwardstone and Blue Lord both battling it out at the fore of the ante-post market for the opening day race. At the time of writing, the Alan King-trained horse has a very slight advantage but you can take nothing away from Blue Lord. Three from three since being sent down the chasing route this season, all with Townend in the saddle — most notably in the Irish Arkle Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival earlier this month — it would be foolish to rule out this very exciting seven-year-old. It’s worth noting that Edwardstone is on a four-race win streak, including securing two Grade 2s and one Grade 1, so this one could go down to the wire, but we fancy Blue Lord and Townend to edge it.