Superstar jockey Paul Townend is hoping to make headlines at the 2022 edition of Cheltenham Festival.
Back at the racecourse in 2020, Townend was the top jockey with four wins - including the Cheltenham Gold Cup - and he followed that up with three race victories in 2021.
Following the retirement of Ruby Walsh in 2019, Townend became the number one jockey to the Mullins yard and the 31-year-old has taken his opportunity to star.
Mullins’ stable is based in Closutton, County Carlow, and Townend has spent his entire career there after starting out as an apprentice on the Flat.
His younger sister Jody is also a jockey.
Townend’s net worth is actually unknown, but his career earnings exceed €10,000,000 - almost £8,500,000. His biggest honours in racing include becoming Irish jump racing champion jockey for the 2010-11 and 2018-19 seasons as well as winning the Gold Cup at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival when riding Al Boum Photo.
Townend dislocated his shoulder back in September when he fell from Jessica Harrington-trained Port Stanley at Listowel, but he has since recovered and returned to action.
When writing for Irish outlet Echo Live, Townend said: "Being favourite to be top jockey at the Festival is nice as it means I have the best chance of riding winners.
"I don’t think any jockey follows it really until Friday morning when you are in with a chance.
“There is a nice prize in it and it is a nice honour. The year I beat Barry Geraghty I didn’t realise how close it was. Every time I looked at the TV he seemed to be riding winners, then I came out and rode a treble on the Friday and beat him on seconds.
“It is something you can’t focus on, if it happens it happens, and it would be nice.”
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