Paul Townend: Cheltenham 2024 entries, odds and Festival record

Belfast Telegraph

11 March 2024

Paul Townend: Cheltenham 2024 entries, odds and Festival record

The 2024 Cheltenham Festival (12-15 March) is fast approaching and this article looks at the Irish jockey’s hopes of adding to his impressive career haul of 28 winners at the meeting.

What is Paul Townend’s Cheltenham Festival record?

Born in 1990, Cork native Paul Townend rode his first winner – The Chip Chopman for trainer Seamus O’Donnell at Limerick – on June 22, 2007. He started his career as an apprentice on the Flat with Willie Mullins and hasn't looked back since.

Townend was crowned champion jump jockey for the first time at the end of the 2010-11 season, during which he also rode his first Cheltenham Festival winner – What A Charm in the Fred Winter Juvenile Novices’ Handicap Hurdle.

He has been champion jockey in Ireland six times and leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival three times – in 2020, 2022 and 2023. His tally of 28 Festival winners is the best among current jockeys in Britain or Ireland and he looks set to extend that number this year.

That haul includes some memorable doubles – Arctic Fire in the County Hurdle and Penhill in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle on the Friday of the 2017 Festival, plus Penhill in the Stayers’ Hurdle and Laurina in the Mares Novices’ Hurdle on the Thursday of the following year.

Willie Mullins’ Al Boum Photo gave Townend his first Gold Cup win in 2019, capping another huge week that included victory on Duc Des Genievres to victory in the Arkle Challenge Trophy. He was back on Al Boum Photo for a second successive Gold Cup success in 2020, one of three winners on the Friday that earned him the leading rider prize with a tally of five for the week.

Townend won the leading jockey award again in 2022 with five more winners, the pick of them being Energumene in the Champion Chase. And he repeated the feat in 2023, rounding off another sublime week with a third Gold cup success, this time aboard Galopin Des Champs.

What are the latest Paul Townend Cheltenham Festival odds?

Paul Townend's standout Cheltenham Festival entries

Ballyburn @ 7/4 with Betfred (Supreme Novices’ Hurdle)
State Man @ 11/4 with Betfred (Champion Hurdle)
Lossiemouth @ 4/6 with Betfred (Mares' Hurdle)
El Fabiolo @ 1/2 with Betfred (Champion Chase)
Galopin Des Champs @ 11/10 with Betfred (Gold Cup)

Paul Townend's key entries for the 2024 Cheltenham Festival

Ballyburn – Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (1.30, Tuesday)

Mullins bingo is in full flow as we’re not sure which race Ballyburn is going to tackle, but the Supreme is a slight favourite over the Baring Bingham Novices’ Hurdle. The six-year-old wasn’t at his best when turned over by Firefox over two miles at Fairyhouse on his seasonal reappearance. But he has left that form behind, winning a 2m 4f maiden hurdle by 25 lengths at Leopardstown over Christmas and a 2m Grade 1 contest at the same venue last month, and he warrants being a short price for this.

State Man – Champion Hurdle (3.30, Tuesday)

If State Man was around in any other era, he would go down as one of the absolute greats, but unfortunately for him he has to contend with Constitution Hill, who could turn out to be the best hurdler in history. State Man has won eight of the nine Grade 1 races he has entered, his only defeat coming at the hands of Nicky Henderson’s superstar in last year’s Champion Hurdle. He arrives here in great form but, despite his short enough price (11/4), it will be a surprise if he reverses the form.

Lossiemouth – Mares’ Hurdle (4.10, Tuesday)

Down as one of the bankers of the entire week for many, Lossiemouth should take all the beating in the Mares’ Hurdle. Last year’s Triumph Hurdle winner backed that win up with a Grade 1 victory at Punchestown to cap off last season and looked better than ever when bolting up in the International Hurdle here in January.

El Fabiolo – Queen Mother Champion Chase (3.30, Wednesday)

Arguably Townend’s best chance of the week is El Fabiolo, who is a very warm order for this year’s renewal of the two-mile contest. He saw off the reopposing Jonbon comfortably in last year’s Arkle, and Jonbon has done nothing in this campaign to suggest he can serve it up the superstar chaser. An economical jumper, he does nothing flashy but he has a huge engine and a high cruising speed.

Galopin Des Champs (3.30pm, Friday)

Last year's runaway Gold Cup winner is a short price to successfully defend his title and rightly so. He put in an incredible performance when beating Gerri Colombe by 23 lengths in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown in December, then put away his main Gold Cup rival Fastorslow comfortably at the Dublin Racing Festival when last seen. It is going to take a right good horse to beat him.