Jesse is the new man around town at Ipswich

By Jordan Gerrans

After a short and sharp ‘crash course’ in training racehorses, Ipswich’s Jesse Townsend says he couldn’t have envisioned the success his small stable has achieved over the last year. 

With a strong background as a farrier, riding trackwork and competing in rodeos, Townsend racked up his fifth winner since November of last year when Papal Wars landed the prize on his home deck late last week. 

Stayer Papal Wars has been a work-in-progress for the young horseman but a move to the Bundamba facility has worked wonders for the chestnut gelding. 

Since November of 2024, the 33-year-old has recorded victories with Papal Wars and two apiece with Crymenotears and Brechen. 

“If I look back 12 months ago and saw I had as many winners as I have had now, I would have been pretty happy,” the ambitious young conditioner said.

“It is all about learning every day, learning something new and trying to keep the horses happy, fit and healthy so they will run well. I am just trying to build up the numbers and have a good crack at it.”

Townsend has only been licensed since the 2022-23 campaign.

He has slowly built up a team of eight or so in work as well as a crop of horses who are out spelling that are nearing a return to the stables. 

The farrier by trade was always keen to try his hand at preparing his own team after being around the industry for many years. 

But, with a large cliental base, it did not make sense to give up his shoeing work to become a stable hand to build his own knowledge towards becoming a trainer in his own right. 

“I always wanted to learn how to train racehorses, it was something I was always interested in,” he said.

“But, as I was so busy as a farrier, it didn’t make sense for me to not do that and go work for a bigger horse trainer and learn everything.

“I basically knew nothing about the training side so when I really wanted to get into it, two mates and I bought a horse and sent it to John Hubbard.

“I rode the horse for six months for John before I got my own licence and I just pretty much learnt of him, everything like working horses, feeding them and how he treated them.

“It was a six-month crash course and I have been winging it since then.”

As well as teaching him how to train gallopers, Hubbard is one of Townsend’s regular farrier clients, as his fellow local Ipswich trainer Phil Bobic, among others.

Papal Wars was only having his third start for his new trainer after previously being conditioned by Stuart Kendrick at Caloundra.

The young trainer believes walking across the road to the races at Ipswich Turf Club for his three starts for him has been key compared to jumping on a truck to head to the races.

The six-year-old galloper has talent over a trip but as being a maiden after 15 starts suggests, he was not putting it all together on raceday.

Townsend says the quiet and relaxed environment of Ipswich has helped Papal Wars to not sweat up so much on raceday anymore.

He finally broke through last Friday over 2150 metres with lanky apprentice Corey Sutherland riding.  

With his two-kilogram claim, Sutherland was able to dictate in front throughout.

“I am very happy with him, since he has come to us – he has been quite a nice horse,” Townsend said of Papal Wars. 

“He is a bit of a rascal on raceday but he hasn’t let us down in his trackwork, he is a nice horse to ride.

“I was quite confident going into Friday. He ran a couple of nice seconds in town over 2000 metres when he was with Stuart Kendrick so I knew 2150 metres at Ipswich would suit him.

“We knew he could be a handful, getting worked up on raceday but we have worked on it and he has improved every start we have given him.

“Being here at Ipswich would help, as well, there isn’t many horses getting worked in the morning and it’s a bit quieter.”

Townsend has his eyes on a Class 1 Plate over 2150 metres early next month, also at Ipswich, with his stayer.

He will walk stablemate Lavoni across the road this Thursday, as well.

Lavoni will start in the Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1200 metres after recently lobbing at Townsend’s yard from Deagon trainer Jack Bruce. 

The mare ran a fair fourth late last month in her first outing for her new trainer after finishing in the money on four straight occasions in her final appearances for Bruce. 

“She found the line well that day on a day where not many others made ground,” Townsend said of her run at Ipswich last month.

“That was over an unsuitable trip after a long break. She has improved quite well out of that.

“I think she should be very competitive on Thursday and her best run will be her third-up effort after this over something like 1400 metres, I think.”

Lavoni has been doing plenty of swimming for her new trainer as he aims to keep her sound.