Thyestes Chase report | Super ride from Paul Townend as he plots route on Carefully Selected
By Sporting Life
16:16 · THU January 26, 2023
Paul Townend won another Goffs Thyestes Handicap Chase at Gowran for Willie Mullins after plotting the scenic route on 9/2 favourite Carefully Selected.
Mullins was winning the race for the ninth time and he has Townend to thank for that after his rider kept his well-backed mount on the wide outside throughout, scraping the paint of the rail under the trees on the far side.
He went the long way round, but it was clear on the turn for home that he was bang in with a chance as a breakaway group of six had it between them and the packed crowd were treated to a rip-roaring finish.
Carefully Selected was just in front jumping the last, but Sam Ewing conjured a great finish out of Gordon Elliott's Dunboyne who forced a photo as the front two crossed the line in close proximity.
Carefully Selected was called the winner by a short head, with Dunboyne second and Pencilfulloflead third. Long-time leader Coko Beach was fourth.
Sky Bet paid out on six places with Espanito Bello fifth and Frontal Assault managing to finish sixth despite appearing to be detached early on.
Access to exclusive features all for FREE - No monthly subscription fee
Log in with your existing Sporting Life, Sky Bet, or Sky Games account. If you don't have any of those, it's completely FREE to register!
Mullins said: "I thought Paul was absolutely fantastic. He was sitting pretty and looked confident, he kept out of trouble, kept jumping. He just sat on him, kept him together, gave him a breather, got a good jump at the last and it was a huge performance.
"For the horse to do that, come back from a short break after such a long break, they normally bounce.
"We'll enjoy this evening. Hopefully he comes back sound and all those staying chases, Irish, English Nationals, we'll try and get him back for."
Get Stuck In: Cheltenham Trials Day and Sky Bet Chase preview
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCareon 0808 8020 133.
We are committed to Safer Gambling and have a number of self-help tools to help you manage your gambling. We also work with a number of independent charitable organisations who can offer help and answers any questions you may have.
