Paul Townend expects Grade 1 thriller at Leopardstown on Monday
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Ladbrokes ambassador Paul Townend is staying at Leopardstown on Monday and he gives us the lowdown on his four rides.
He gets the four-year-old allowance. He jumps really well and he had a really good run in the Triumph Hurdle, his first run for us.
It was hard to go there without having a run. He didn’t really back it up and I probably didn’t give him a good ride at Punchestown after that.
He seems to have taken to fences well and just the allowance itself will definitely be an advantage to him. I think he is shaping like a chaser rather than a hurdler.
With Chacun Pour Soi and Envoi Allen, I think this race will be very interesting. They were the two bankers at the Cheltenham festival last year. They were supposedly the second coming. The two of them are meeting for the first time and are on a retrieval meeting.
With Chacun back on home soil, I will retain the faith in him. I just love the horse. I think he is exceptional, and he sets the standard. I wouldn’t swap him and he is very good around Leopardstown. I had a good bonding session with him this morning – Patrick Mullins was laughing at me chatting to him as he walked by!
She’s really exciting. Brian Cooper was really happy with her at Fairyhouse when she won her maiden. This is obviously a huge step up for her but I think it’s a step she can take. She wasn’t disgraced at Cheltenham, she is a winner of Grade 2 bumper at Leopardstown before that.
Mighty Potter looked a bit unlucky in the Royal Bond and I think he will improve from that. It’s a strong renewal of the race but with the allowances, it will bring me into it.
There are 28 runners in a handicap in a race worth 200k and it will be hell for leather down the back straight. We were lucky enough to win it last year and we are hoping to do the same again.
It’s a bit of a lottery, with a lot of horses with big chances. She hasn’t had that many runs for us. She was well fancied for the Irish National where I was meant to ride her but I broke my foot the day before so I haven’t got to ride her on the track yet.
It’s her first run of the season so it’ll be hard to win a big pot like this but I think there are big days in her and hopefully one of them is here.
