Townend to see specialist Champion Jockey Paul Townend, who re-fractured his collarbone at the Punchestown Festival last week, is to see specialist Dr Tadgh O’Sullivan tomorrow before being given news on a comeback, albeit not in the coming weeks. Speaking as a ‘tourist’ at Gowran Park today Townend stated “I had an operation last Wednesday to take out the pin which was bent at Punchestown and had it replaced by another one.” “I’ve to see Tadgh O’Sullivan tomorrow at Witfield Clinic and he’ll give me a guideline to my recovery – I’m not in any immediate hurry to return and will give it every chance to come right.” The Midleton, Co Cork native fractured his collarbone on March 26 at the height of the race to win the Jump Jockeys’ Championship but held a nine winner lead over nearest pursuer Davy Russell at the point. Townend’s injured collarbone required surgery and in an exciting, if at times almost brutal, end to the season, Russell, who had his share of injuries to his right wrist, closed the gap on Townend to four by the end of the Fairyhouse Easter Festival. Townend however, returned to action at Ballinrobe on April 27 and went on to record four ‘match-winning’ successes before re-fracturing his collarbone on the first day of the Punchestown Festival on May 3. At that point, Russell needed five winners at the Festival to draw but eventually fell four winners (the number of winners Townend partnered on his return) short of Townend’s tally of 80 winners. Thomas Weekes
