Paul Townend makes a welcome return to action at Galway this evening with two strong rides in the opening two races as the seven day Festival meeting gets underway at 5.05pm.

The Cork native has missed most of the past four months through injury, having fractured his collarbone in a fall from Indian Buck at Navan on March 26 and then re-fracturing the collarbone on the opening day of the Punchestown Festival on May 3.

Townend did ride a number of winners when briefly returning to the saddle before the Punchestown Festival to secure his first National Hunt jockeys title.

He has been riding out and schooling at Willie Mullins' yard over the past few days, and can look forward to riding Sulwaan for Dermot Weld in the opening HotelMeyrick & the ghotel.ie Novice Hurdle and Mullins' De Senectute in the salthillhotel.com Handicap Hurdle.

Alan Magee