Paul Townend© Photo Healy Racing
Paul Townend makes his first competitive appearance in the saddle since the inaugural Dublin Racing Festival over a month ago with four rides at Gowran Park on Saturday.
With Ruby Walsh having been sidelined through injury, Townend has spent much of the season as number one rider for champion trainer Willie Mullins and is unsurprisingly enjoying a fine campaign.
However, he not been seen since suffering an ankle injury when falling from Killultagh Vic at the final fence in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown on February 4th.
With Walsh having made his long-awaited comeback with rides at Thurles on Thursday and Leopardstown on Friday, he sits out this weekend and Townend is given some crucial match practice, with the Cheltenham Festival now just days away.
His first ride back is the Mullins-trained Saglawy in the opening Kilkenny Hunt Maiden Hurdle.
The son of Youmzain was third on his Irish debut at Thurles in January and given that was his first start since May 2017, he should strip much fitter and normal progress will make him hard to beat.
Townend and Mullins team up again with Epicuris in the Best Of Luck To The Irish At Cheltenham Maiden Hurdle. Fifth behind Golden Horn in the 2015 Epsom Derby, the six-year-old has disappointed twice over hurdles so far, but this does not look a great race.
The former champion jockey's most high-profile ride of the day is Pairofbrowneyes, who makes his debut for the Mullins team in the Leinster National, while his best chance of a winner could be Up For Review, who shaped with plenty of promise on his return from a near two-year absence and chasing debut over this course and distance three weeks ago.
The E50,000 Holden Plant Rentals Shamrock Handicap Chase looks a competitive contest, with Gordon Elliott's Robin Des Mana and Brian Hamilton's Jimmy Two Times just two to consider.
The concluding Raceday Packages @ gowranpark.ie Point-To-Point INH Flat Race could be informative, with the Mullins-trained Derby and Elliott's Global Jackpot both winners between the flags.
