Ruby Walsh – Cheltenham Gold
Cheltenham Festival punters may muse long and hard about the current form of the favourite or ruminate over a glass of England’s finest as to the relevance of age but when all is said and done it is the man in the saddle who should really be under the spotlight.
One man who has been in the thick of things and for all the right reasons is the incomparable Ruby Walsh. The Irish born champion jockey has been in rampant form at the Cheltenham Festival for well on a decade. He has claimed seventeen wins in the finest of styles and been crowned King on three occasions by leading the top jockey stakes in 2004, 06 and 08!
Bravery and resilience elevate him to stardom
Walsh is a man who clearly understands his equine partners in the heat of the race and his tactical acumen is, quite frankly, unsurpassed on the turf of the United Kingdom. But it is his bravery and resilience that elevate him to the lofty heights of stardom, traits seldom recognised by avid race fans.
Much has been written about the hardships of the horses of the National hunt but how many of us really spare a thought for the jockeys?
Walsh has had his fair share of spills, possibly the most gruesome was at the very same Cheltenham Festival in 2007 when his dead mount crumbled right on top him, leaving him nursing a dislocated shoulder. But within five weeks, he had cast the dark shadows of a failed jump right out of his mind and was back in the saddle of one of his most formidable and successful partners, Kauto Star!
In a macabre twist of fate recently, Walsh hit the deck again at Cheltenham but this time he had the closest of shaves with the grim reaper; a following horse caught him at full gallop. Walsh had to have his spleen removed but instead of hanging up his spurs, he was back doing what he loves best in a blink of an eye – leading his preferred mount to victory yet again at the Stan James King George VI Chase!
His flourishes of gallantry are unmatched
Walsh is undoubtedly a horseman of distinction but he is also a man whose flourishes of gallantry are unmatched and it is this courage that separates him from the rest of his peers. A man who can conquer the barriers of bravado and lead his steeds to victory with alacrity is a man worth betting on!
Walsh’s recent wins at Cheltenham
- 2008 Triumph Hurdle on Celestial Halo; Novices Hurdle on Fiveforthree and Queen Mother Champion Chase on Master Minded
- 2007 Cheltenham Gold Cup on Kauto Star; Ryanair Chase on Taranis and the Alliance Chase on Denman
- 2006 County Hurdle on Desert Quest; Handicap Chase on Dun Doire and Novices’ Hurdle on Noland
