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Townend works wonders on Magic McColgan

Magic Mccolgan and Paul Townend jump an early flightMagic Mccolgan and Paul Townend jump an early flight
© Photo Healy Racing

Six-time champion jockey Paul Townend juggled tricky Magic McColgan (11/8f) over the final obstacles of Punchestown’s Get Your Festival 2025 Tickets Mares Maiden Hurdle today, with the pair scoring in an unconventional manner.

Carrying Honeysuckle’s colours of owner Kenneth Alexander, Magic McColgan made all the running in today’s 10-runner race but the success was hard-fought as her technique became progressively worse, when jumping left, over the final four flights.

The six-year-old mare was clear when hanging left rounding the final bend and at the final hurdle veered violently to the stands’ side, almost unseating Townend, but ‘restarted’ on the run-in to score by 2.5 lengths from Miss Mini Bee

Successful trainer Willie Mullins supplied Townend with yesterday’s course treble with the 34-year-old reporting “Magic McColgan was leaning left throughout and gradually got worse. When I let her down in the last stride or two at the last, she jammed on, nearly turned around and I nearly fell off. She got going again though although I’ll be keeping company with her in future!

“At least she’s won and did things relatively right up to that. She’s a fine mare and has a good jump in her. I thought we went a good gallop and being a Flemensfirth mare she appreciated the slower ground and step up in trip.”

Quotes from Alan Magee

About Tom Weekes
A lifelong racing fan, Tom began writing point to point reports in 2002 and has reported for irishracing.com since 2003, when he joined Irish Racing Services - since taken over by the Press Association. Has ridden a point to point winner and won the 2018 Irish Field Naps Table.