Kempton king Townend adds another jewel to his record

In the heyday of Ruby Walsh, Paul Townend saw Kempton’s Boxing Day bonanza as a chance to pilot some of Willie Mullins’ best on home soil. Now he is the man making the festive trip across the Irish Sea and returning home a Ladbrokes King George VI Chase hero as he caps a stellar 2024.

Racing often works in mysterious ways and when Townend boarded his flight out of Dublin on Thursday morning, his thoughts were firmly on Lossiemouth, the mare who started the day as favourite for the Champion Hurdle and poised to dethrone the great Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle.

That did not go to plan, however, as Nicky Henderson’s unbeaten superstar roared back to his imperious best to provide the Sunbury faithful with a belated Christmas gift.

But Irish champion Townend was soon to see despair turn to triumph, for little over 40 minutes later he was holding the King George trophy aloft as he reeled in the runaway French raider Il Est Francais aboard his chance spare ride for the festive main event, Joseph O’Brien’s Banbridge.

Townend, riding in the King George for just the second time after partnering Allaho to finish third 12 months ago, said: “I used to love the King George, as it would get rid of Ruby for a day, but now it’s the other way round. I think the lads in Willie’s now are delighted to see me coming over here.

“It’s a huge win and I’ve only ridden in it last year and this year, it’s one I haven’t been involved in too often.

“I was on the floor after Lossiemouth a bit, fortunately I was in a position to be released by Willie and to pick up this ride for Joseph and Ronnie (Bartlett, owner). It was obviously disappointing with Lossie but this makes up for it. It’s brilliant when it all comes together.”

The victory in the staying showpiece adds another feather to Townend’s bulging cap in a 2024 when he well and truly stepped out of the shadows of his illustrious Closutton predecessor.

His Champion Hurdle winner State Man and Gold Cup champion Galopin Des Champs are still to come before the year ends, when he returns to duties in the Irish capital over the rest of this festive period.

He is assured to end a magnificent year with at least 20 wins at the highest level to his name, also claiming Britain’s four most prestigious National Hunt contests – the Champion Hurdle, Gold Cup, Grand National and now King George VI Chase.

Now looking to the future, the jockey added: “I hadn’t even considered that (I had won all four), it’s brilliant – those first three races were last season in my head! I guess this is the first big winner for this season and we’re off to a good start anyway.

“I left good rides in Leopardstown at home to come here and ride Lossiemouth and J J Slevin also had a decision to make and stayed at home and missed out on it (Banbridge), but that’s how it goes and it will turn the other way some day.”

Although a spare ride, Banbridge and Townend have plenty of history and it was a joyful reunion with the gelding for the Cork native, who had partnered the 7-1-winning Kempton hero to finish a disappointing fourth at Navan in his comeback.

Townend had switched allegiances to his returning two-time Champion Chase hero Energumene when a staying-on Banbridge would unseat Richie Deegan at the final fence in the Hilly Way at Cork, but the eight-year-old’s big-race deputy knew he had a horse in peak condition on his side.

He added: “His run behind Energumene in the Hilly Way at Cork was very good and I had actually ridden him before that and didn’t get much of a tune out of him, but he has stepped forward a lot and Joseph has done a brilliant job.

“Joseph said today is his day and he produced it for me.”

Townend went on: “He flew the last and the plan worked out brilliant in the end. Sometimes you look a bit foolish, but it all went according to plan.

“We were always going to be riding him to be coming home, which is the opposite to the horse we jumped the last alongside. They had done all their running early in the race, but we were coming home fast.”