THE bookies make Paul Townend only the marginal favourite to be crowned champion jockey next weekend. A winner early on the card at Downpatrick on Friday evening put Kennedy on 122 winners, seven ahead of Townend but the reigning champion was still only 8/11 to retain his title while Kennedy was evens.

Townend rode 11 winners at last year’s Punchestown Festival, a meeting where Kennedy’s boss Gordon Elliott has traditionally struggled to maintain his usual flow of winners. However, Townend could be a little lighter on Punchestown ammunition this year as Willie Mullins has been running far more horses than usual in Britain in recent weeks.

Townend (33) has been champion jockey on six occasions, including for the past five seasons. Kennedy (25), whose career has been dogged with injuries, has never won the title.

Kennedy told BoyleSports: “It would mean the world to win the title for the first time after the things I’ve been through. It is something everybody wants to do. It would be a dream come true from when I was a young boy.

“It is going to be very tight. Paul will be very strong at Punchestown with the ammunition that he has through Willie [Mullins]. It will be very tough but I will not give up without a good fight. I will throw everything at it.”

Townend commented in his Ladbrokes blog: “It would be brilliant to be champion again, but it’s not going to ruin my season.”