Paul Townend v Jack Kennedy - a head-to-head that looks set to go right to the wire at Punchestown on Saturday

Having been labelled as the mercenary who shot Bambi when he foiled Rachael Blackmore's epic tilt at the Irish jockeys' championship in 2021, Paul Townend knows what it's like to be cast as the villain of a fairytale. 

His association with the Willie Mullins Leviathan means he will surely never be cast as the underdog. That's the price of success, and it's a burden he wears lightly. 

This time, Jack Kennedy is the one all neutrals are willing over the line. With 122 wins, he has a cushion of seven over the reigning champion. Last year, though, Townend departed Punchestown having partnered no fewer than 11 of Mullins' 17 winners, so this could swing either way.