Horse Racing

Ruby’s Record – What Walsh Has Riding On Cheltenham

Winning one or more events at the Cheltenham Festival is a career high for any jockey; however Ruby Walsh will be approaching this year’s Festival with even more fighting spirit than usual. Walsh stands to become the jockey with the most wins at the Cheltenham Festival in history – should he pull of more than one successful ride.

With an astonishing 24 wins at the Cheltenham Festival, Walsh is only one winning ride behind all-time winningmost jocket Pat Taaffe, the regular jockey of legendary race horse Arkle. Taaffee recorded 25 victories at the Cheltenham Festival – three of them wins on Arkle in the Cheltenham Gold Cup – a record that has been untouched until now. The 2010 Cheltenham Festival will be Walsh’s chance to topple the long-standing champion of his pedestal.

Walsh, who is a regular jockey for trainer Paul Nicholls, needs to win at least two races at Cheltenham next week in order to claim the record. Although this may seem like a big call we have to keep in mind that Ruby Walsh is not an ordinary jockey. In fact, his efforts – especially at his signature event of Cheltenham – occasionally appear superhuman. In 2009 Walsh rode seven winners at the Cheltenham Festival: Quevega in the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle, Master Minded in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, Big Buck’s in the World Hurdle, Mikael d’Haguenet in the Ballymore Properties Novices’ Hurdle, Cooldine in the RSA Chase, American Trilogy in the Vincent O’Brien County Handicap Hurdle, and – naturally – Kauto Star in the Gold Cup.

Thus far, Walsh has been booked to ride The Tother One in the William Hill Trophy Handicap Chase, pilot Celestial Halo in the Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy, and attempt to repeat last year’s performance with Kauto Star in the Gold Cup – all for his favourite trainer Paul Nicholls – although it is safe to say that a number of races will be added to this list as the meeting draws closer. Should Walsh emerge victorious from these battles he will have an impressive new record to add to his already impressive collection of career achievements.

So far Walsh is showing no signs of cracking under the pressure of expectations. Yesterday he claimed a win on Martin-trained Psycho in the Comeragh Beginners Chase at Clonmel, perhaps as a means of warming up for the big racing next week. In any case, Walsh will be the man to watch during the four days at Cheltenham.