Townend 'too far back' in championship Champion jockey Paul Townend admits he faces an uphill task to retain this season's title, as the Cheltenham-conqueror today landed Limerick’s Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle on Willie Mullins’ Dani Donadoni (2/5f). Seven-time champion Townend this month won all three of Cheltenham’s feature races, including the Gold Cup on Gaelic Warrior and, reverting down in grade on Dani Donadoni, made all the running for an easy success over Doctor Elvis. The first six horses finished in racecard order and Townend, riding his 78th winner this term, reflected “Pat Healy (photographer) reminded me of it (championship) before racing but I’m too far back. We’ll keep tipping away though and we’re not doing too bad without it.” Regarding Dani Donadoni, he added “he put it together today but is big and still backwards. On ratings he was entitled to beat Jack’s horse (Kennedy, on runner-up Doctor Elvis) and he beat him nicely. “He had disappointed me in Leopardstown (during Christmas) but other than that, he had run ok and he met a decent horses the last day when he met interference. The penny is only dropping with him now, and maybe a fence will also help him improve as well.” Townend’s success moves him 17 wins behind championship-leader Jack Kennedy (95 wins) and second-placed Darragh O’Keeffe (84), with the season to conclude on May 2. Dani Donadoni’s trainer Mullins had earlier won the opener with the Brian Hayes-partnered, retiring Baby Kate.
