UK Horse Racing Tips

At the time of writing, the 2018 Cheltenham Festival is less than a month away, and punters are eyeing up the latest Cheltenham tips, yet the most successful jockey at the Festival, Rupert ‘Ruby’ Walsh, has yet to return to the saddle. Walsh remains sidelined with the latest in a series of serious injuries, a fractured right tibia, sustained during a fall from Let’s Dance at Punchestown in November. Ironically, it was the victory of the same horse in the Trull House Stud Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle last year that took his Cheltenham Festival total to 56 winners.

Walsh, 38, rode his first Cheltenham Festival winner two decades ago, when Alexander Banquet, trained by Willie Mullins, ran on well to beat the favourite, Joe Mac, in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper. Two years later, aged just 20, he won the Grand National on Papillon, trained by his father Ted, a victory he describes as the “proudest moment of my career.”

In October 2002, Walsh became retained rider for Paul Nicholls and so began one of the most successful partnerships in National Hunt racing. Walsh was leading jockey at the Festival for the first time in 2004 and six more times before he split with Nicholls to spend more time in Ireland with his young family. He said at the time, “The future for me will be Naas instead of Newbury and Navan instead of Haydock, but it will also be home for dinner with Gillian and the girls [two daughters, both under five] rather than a quick coffee at breakfast.”

Having switched allegiance to his other major employer, County Carlow trainer Willie Mullins, Walsh has proved an even greater force to be reckoned with at the Cheltenham Festival, winning the leading jockey title in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Walsh is reportedly a week, or two, away from a return to race riding but, all being well, Footpad – currently 11/8 favourite for the Arkle Challenge Trophy on March 13 – may well provide him with winner number 57.

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