In a dramatic turn of events at Sandown Park, top jockey Paul Townend experienced a day he will want to forget after making an emergency dash from Ireland to ride the favourite, only to be unseated early in the race.
Last-Minute Flight from Dublin
The drama began when day one of the Dublin Racing Festival was abandoned, prompting Townend to catch a last-minute flight from Dublin to London Heathrow. He was accompanied by weighing room colleague Jack Kennedy, who was set to ride Kala Conti in the same Grade One Virgin Bet Scilly Isles Novices' Chase at Sandown Park, located approximately 20 miles from the airport.
Early Exit for the Favourite
Despite the frantic journey, Townend's race ended prematurely aboard the Willie Mullins-trained Kitzbuhel, the 10-11 favourite. The grey mount began jumping to his right and became tangled at the sixth fence, leaving Townend with no chance of staying in the saddle.
Racing TV pundit James Millman observed: "He just checked. He kept jumping slightly right-handed prior to that obstacle, he wasn't quite fluent. At Kempton, where he won the Grade One Kauto Star Novices' Chase, he has always got a rail on his right-hand side which has helped keep him straighter. Today he has clipped the top and unfortunately dislodged Paul Townend, who will wish he hadn't really taken that flight to London Heathrow."
Sixmilebridge Seizes Victory
With Kitzbuhel out of contention, the race was won by the Fergal O'Brien-saddled and Andrew Megson-owned Sixmilebridge, ridden by Kielan Woods. The 6-1 chance made all of the running, securing victory by five lengths and remaining unbeaten for the season, adding to previous successes at Ayr and Cheltenham.
Owner Andrew Megson expressed his delight, stating: "That was incredible. It was a fantastic ride and Fergal has done an amazing job to get Sixmilebridge to this level. We all thought he was nice, but to have him win our first Grade One we just can't believe it. We are staying local as we drove down from Leeds this morning. We were going to get up early and drive back early, but maybe not so much now!"
Post-Race Reactions and Future Prospects
Trainer Fergal O'Brien praised the efforts of his team, saying: "All credit to Max Kendrick who rides this horse everyday. He is not easy. I think today was phenomenal. It was lovely to watch as I felt he was going so well. I could see his ears were pricked and I could see Kielan was very confident."
Following the victory, Sixmilebridge's odds for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March were shortened to 20-1 from 25-1, highlighting his rising prominence in the racing world.
Fortunately, both Townend and Kitzbuhel were reported to be up on their feet after the incident, though the jockey's rushed journey ultimately proved in vain as the Irish raiders were foiled by the impressive performance of Sixmilebridge.
