What Horses Is Paul Townend Riding At Cheltenham Day 1?

Last year’s top jockey at the Cheltenham Festival, Paul Townend, is back for this year’s Cheltenham aiming to become a three-time Champion Jockey. He is one of the leading jockeys in the world right now, and has four rides on Day 1. Read on to find out which horses Paul Townend is riding on Day 1 of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.

Paul Townend With Four Rides On Cheltenham Day 1

Paul Townend was crowned the Champion Jockey of the Year last year for his sensational performance at the Cheltenham Festival. He won a staggering five races, including two seconds and three third place finish too. This year, he will be hoping to replicate that form with a stellar showing at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival.

On Day 1, Paul Townend has four rides on Tuesday 14th March. These rides include State Man, who is the second favourite in the Champion Hurdle behind Constitution Hill. The Willie Mullins horse has won his last six races on the spin and will be hopeful of making that seven here in the Champion Hurdle.

The two-time Gold Cup winner with Al Boum Photo also has three more rides on day one along with State Man. He rides the favourite in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Facile Vega, who has looked almightily capable so far in his racing career to date.

Townend also rides the favourite in the Arkle Novices’ Chase in the shape of El Fabiolo. The impressive 6-year-old is looking for his fourth straight victory and his first at the Cheltenham Festival.

His fourth and final ride of the day comes in the Mares’ Hurdle where Townend is in the saddle aboard Brandy Love. The 7-year-old mare is a lot of people’s outside bet in the Mares’ Hurdle, including racing tipster Kevin Blake. She certainly has a great chance in this race.

Townend is also priced as the heavy 2/7 bookies favourite with leading bookmaker BetUK to be the 2023 Cheltenham Festival Champion Jockey.

What Horses Is Paul Townend Riding On Day 1 Of The 2023 Cheltenham Festival?

Tuesday 14th March 2023

FACILE VEGA (Supreme Novices’ Hurdle – 13.30): @ 5/2 with BetUK

Paul Townend’s first run of the day comes in the first race of the Festival in the form of Facile Vega. The 6-year-old is the current betting favourite to triumph in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle for trainer Willie Mullins.

The gelding has won two of his three hurdling starts, and also won at the Cheltenham Festival last year in the Champion Bumper with relative ease. He is the betting favourite for a reason here and certainly has a good chance for Townend to get his 2023 Cheltenham Festival campaign off to the best possible start.

EL FABIOLO (Arkle Novices’ Chase – 14.10): @ 7/4 with BetUK

El Fabiolo heads the betting market in the Arkle Novices’ Chase on Day 1 of the 2023 Cheltenham Festival. He is the joint favourite with Jonbon, a horse he has history with. Jonbon just pipped El Fabiolo at last year’s Grand National Festival at Aintree in the Top Novices’ Hurdle. but it was just by a neck.

Horse racing fans are super excited to see this duel again on Day 1 of Cheltenham in a highly competitive race. Townend certainly has a chance here on El Fabiolo of picking up a winner on Tuesday.

STATE MAN (Champion Hurdle – 15.30): @ 10/3 with BetUK

State Man is jockey Paul Townend’s third ride on Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival and has a real chance of success here in the Champion Hurdle. He is the 10/3 second favourite for that race with the best Cheltenham odds behind the impressive Constitution Hill.

State Man has won his last six races over hurdles, and has shown he is a very capable horse. However, he is up against it as he takes on Constitution Hill, who looks to be almost unbeatable right now. But who knows, State Man could potentially yield a winner for Paul Townend on Day 1.

BRANDY LOVE (Mares’ Hurdle – 16.10): @ 13/2 with BetUK

Brandy Love is one of the outsiders on Day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival in the mares’ Hurdle. All eyes are on Honeysuckle and Marie’s Rock, meaning Brandy Love can happily go under the radar. The 7-year-old boasts two wins in his last four starts, as well as two place finishes.

ITV pundit Kevin Blake fancies this Mullins horse to triumph as a relative outsider at odds of 13/2 with the best horse racing betting sites, and it is clear to see why. Definitely Townend’s biggest outsider here but still a chance of a winner.