Paul Townend’s five winners at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival

With the sheer power within the ranks of Willie Mullins’ esteemed Closutton stable, and the number of favourites the Irish trainer had lined up in the ante-post markets ahead of last month’s Cheltenham Festival, there was sense of inevitability that Paul Townend, his No.1 rider, was going to regain the Top Jockey crown — with Rachael Blackmore forced to pass the Ruby Walsh Trophy back to her Irish counterpart. 

By the end of the four-day Festival, it panned out exactly as expected for Mullins and Townend. The 65-year-old handler took home the Leading Trainer award for a fourth successive year and the ninth time overall, all while setting a new record with a huge 10 winners — two more than the previous best he shared with his Irish rival Gordon Elliott (8). 

Townend reinstated his status at Prestbury Park’s best rider with five wins — a tally you could perhaps argue should have been higher, especially when you factor in favourite Gaelic Warrior losing out by a shorthead in the Grade 3 Juvenile Handicap Hurdle and Galopin Des Champs’ excruciating fall in the Turners when he looked like breezing home ahead of Bob Olinger.  

Still, five winning rides at a meeting like Cheltenham is nothing to be sniffed at and deserves recognition — even if isn’t a new record. So, without further ado, read on as we recap Townend’s handful of wins. 

Sir Gerhard – Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle

Considering Townend drew a blank on the opening card of the Festival, his chances of winning the Top Jockey accolade probably drifted out a bit in the racing odds ahead of Day Two. But he quickly made up for lost time, winning the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle with Sir Gerhard. 

Pressing the leader and going best two out, the seven-year-old took the lead before the last and stayed on strongly on the run-in to win by over three lengths clear of Three Stripe Life. 

Energumene – Queen Mother Champion Chase

Ending Mullins’ drought in the Champion Chase, Townend successfully guided Energumene around the two-mile trip, despite the treacherous conditions, to gift the trainer his maiden victory in the Day Two feature. 

Much was made of the rivalry between Energumene and Shishkin being renewed, but Nicky Henderson’s star clearly wasn’t right and was pulled up Nico de Boinville, meaning Energumene could ease to a comfortable victory. 

Allaho – Ryanair Chase

After the aforementioned fall on Galopin Des Champs, Townend’s only victory of Stayers’ Hurdle Day came aboard the fantastic Allaho in the Ryanair Chase — securing the Festival Trophy for Mullins for the second successive year. 

Taking the ride from last year’s winning jockey Rachael Blackmore, Townend breezed home on Allaho to win by a huge 14 lengths despite a mistake at the last. 

Vauban – Triumph Hurdle

While Mullins may have lost out on the Gold Cup to Henry de Bromhead for the second year in a row, but the final day of the Festival was certainly still a memorable one for the County Carlow-based trainer as he landed five victories. 

Vauban and Townend kicked things off brilliantly in a competitive Triumph Hurdle, going clear of Elliott’s pair, Fil Dor and Piped Piper, in the final stages to win by two and a half lengths. 

State Man – County Handicap Hurdle

It was back-to-back victories on Gold Cup Day for Townend, as he rode State Man to glory in the Grade 3 County Handicap Hurdle. 

The only of his five victories not at the top-grade, the 31-year-old started to make smooth headway with Statement two out and they went on to win by little more than a length as First Street applied the pressure on the run-in.