Paul Townend remembers Wicklow Brave and talks Galway on Sunday

I start by riding Kalanisi Og in a Mares Maiden Hurdle (1.05)for Willie Mullins. She is a previous winner at this course already 12 monthsago, winning a bumper that day and she ran ok on her next run at Gowran Parklast month.

Shewill have improved a lot for the first outing of the season and we think shewill take a lot of beating here. Gordon Elliott’s mare Mount Ida looks like shewill give her the most to do.

My next ride is on Sumos Novois (2.15) for Leon Burke. He is top weight and has to give a lot of weight away to other horses in the race but he runs very well fresh and will like the soft ground.

He has taken part in all the big handicap chases throughout the year and at the age of 11 I hope he is as enthusiastic as ever.

It’s a competitive handicap chase but with the form Liam Burke’s horses are in he can run very well I hope.

I ride in a Novice Hurdle (3.25) then for Willie Mullins on Foveros. He’s only a four-year-old, like Willie’s other runner in the race, Quartz Du Rheu.

Foveroswon at the Galway Festival over the summer already. The ground is a little bitof an unknown but we hope he can handle it.

PakensRock was very impressive when winning a Novice Hurdle here the last day.Hopefully if Foveros handles the ground he has a chance. He is an improvinghorse and he can go onto better things. Although I think the other horse isvery nice as well.

My last ride of the day is on Pivotal Flame (4.00). Danny Mullins won on her last time out and she has gone up 7 or 8 lbs for that.

Theground is a bit of an unknown for her but they think she will handle it and sheis off a nice racing weight. She comes here on the back of a win so that’salways a plus.

Wicklow Brave

It was a very sad day inAmerica last weekend when we lost Wicklow Brave. He was a huge servant to theyard and to me personally.

I hada lot of big days on him including winning a County Hurdle at the CheltenhamFestival and riding him in a Classic on the flat. That was a big day in mycareer.

Iwill miss him a lot; he was a real warrior. A quirky horse, with loads ofability and it will be hard to replace him.

On another note I wish DavidMullins the best after his bad fall yesterday.

Paul