Ruby Walsh’s five greatest Cheltenham rides
Few jockeys have proven themselves to be as good as Ruby Walsh at riding around Cheltenham and there’s a reason he has 59 Cheltenham Festival winners to his name.
Definitely the best jockey of his generation, and arguably of all time, he’s a legendary figure at the Gloucestershire track.
Here we take a look at five of his best ever Cheltenham Festival rides, whilst you could put any number of them on this list, the five that have made it live long in the memory.
This ride was arguably no more impressive than the other 58 winners he rode but it exemplifies his ability to judge the pace to perfection. Making all the running, the Rich Ricci-owned grey jumped accurately from the front and Walsh knew exactly when to ask for more.
AP McCoy appeared to be travelling all over him on My Tent Or Yours and joined him at the last but Champagne Fever responded to Walsh’s urgings and battled to victory despite looking beaten.
Kauto Star didn’t stay the Gold Cup trip but there are two reasons why he managed to win the iconic race twice. Firstly, every inch of the horse was full of class. Very few horses can be the best over two miles, two-and-a-half miles and three miles but Kauto Star could.
Walsh is reason number two and he stalked his way to victory for the first time back in 2007. Walsh took Kauto Star the shortest route round on the inside and he was ridden towards the back of the field in the early stages. That move ensured that Kauto had as much petrol left as possible heading up the hill and he judged it perfectly.
The pressure was on for awesome staying hurdler Big Bucks in the 2012 World Hurdle (currently the Stayers’ Hurdle) as he made his bid to win the race for the fourth consecutive time. He wasn’t the easiest of rides for a horse with so much ability so it’s good that he had the best of jockeys.
Big Bucks looked a little awkward in the closing stages, hanging left before the last and drifting right up the run-in. Walsh was always in control though and he went on to score by just shy of two lengths, earning his place in the history books in the process.
Truly the queen of Cheltenham, Quevega made history by winning the Mares’ Hurdle a whopping six times in a row. It wasn’t plain sailing in the last of those successes back in 2014, however, as she wasn’t travelling with her usual zest.
Stablemate Glen’s Melody was travelling better than her between the third last and the last but Quevega battled valiantly to come out on top, thanks in no small part to a brilliant ride from Walsh, who definitely earned his fee that day.
Walsh gave Noland an unbelievable ride here, somehow snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Keen and prominent in the early stages, he lost his position and Walsh had to get to work much earlier than he would have hoped.
The gelding looked beaten jumping the last but he stayed on powerfully up the hill and came out of nowhere to collar Straw Bear and great rival AP McCoy on the line. This was the first of six Supreme Novices’ Hurdle wins for Walsh and it may well have been his finest hour.
By Tom McGarry
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