Paul Townend looking forward to hurdles challenge with Ballyburn
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Ladbrokes ambassador and leading jockey Paul Townend is at Fairyhouse on Saturday and he gave us the lowdown on the prospects of his three rides.
This is a hot race, with the likes of Corbetts Cross lining up. He had a nice run behind Grangeclare West at Naas and he will be competitive. Good Time Jonny is a Cheltenham Festival winner over hurdles, albeit he has had a couple of goes over fences and hasn’t shown a lot. I will be keeping an eye on him to see how he takes to chasing this time around. Three Card Brag has some very fancy hurdle form to call upon. He ran into a couple of decent horses over hurdles last year and was competitive then, and it looks like chasing will help him.
I think Nick Rockett was one that surprised us a little bit. He won a bumper last year and Willie Mullins just decided to send him over hurdles in the middle of March. He won at Naas before the week of Cheltenham and then he took a massive step forward when he won the Grade 2 at the Fairyhouse Easter meeting. He is a point-to-point winner also, so he has that bit of experience over fences, and I think he could be a smart one for the season to come.
Ballyburn had some eye-catching performances last year. His schooling has been good, he is a point-to-point winner and he looks exciting. I am really looking forward to getting him started over hurdles. This looks as hot a maiden hurdle as you’re going to find.
Firefox had the run at Down Royal and he won the bumper there. His bumper form last year ties in with a lot of winners including Ile Atlantique. That is decent form and he will be hard to beat. Gordon Elliott’s horses are flying. Helvic Dream from Noel Meade’s yard comes to jumping with a rating of 105 on the flat. Now it doesn’t always mean they take to jumps but it is a hell of a flat rating to bring to the table.
He dined at the top table last year, taking on a lot of fancied horses in big races. He ran well at Fairyhouse behind Blood Destiny and behind Lossiemouth at the Cheltenham Festival. He couldn’t have been in hotter water. This is his first run of the season and a few of them in here have had a run already. I think he could really come into himself, and we are hoping for a good year. That experience in Grade 1’s will definitely stand to him.
