Ruby Walsh’s Amazing Record

The 2010 Cheltenham Festival saw Ruby Walsh surpass Pat Taaffe’s record of twenty-five victories at the great meeting.

Ruby obviously knows that he is a good jockey – it goes without saying – but he is also modest, saying just before breaking Pat’s record: ‘When I think about that, I’m lucky to have good trainers to ride for. Taaffe had Tom Dreaper to ride for and I have Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins.That made it a bit easier for Taaffe and it makes it a lot easier for me.’

While Taaffe will always be associated with the great Arkle; having ridden him for 24 of his 27 victories including his hat-trick of Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup victories (1964 – 1966); and remembered for the fact that he won the National in his first and last attempt at the race (having entered seventeen times in total) on Quare Times in 1955, and in 1970 on Gay Trip; in the far distant future Walsh will be remembered, and indeed even now has already earned his reputation, for his mastery of any horse he chooses to ride, his soft-handling and unhurried piloting. Horseracing is a talent that seems to come from within him; even though he had the expert guidance of his father Ted, the horse trainer who provided Ruby with Papillon, his first attempt and win of the Grand National in 2000, when Ruby was just twenty years old; it is not brutality or temperament that makes Ruby victorious – it is as if he simply has a way with horses – a horse whisperer if you will. If that is the case, there are many who would like to know what he is saying, given he has won two Grand Nationals, two Gold Cups and four King Georges plus a couple of Queen Mother Champion Chases!

However, while the issue of the new record at Cheltenham seems to be a pretty futile one, given the man’s exceptional talents, what is holding the public’s attention at the moment is the ever-present competition between Walsh and McCoy. Even though the pair are friends off the racecourse, Walsh is the only jockey to rival McCoy, but in his true modest style would never boast that he may even be better than his closest rival. Walsh has said of his Gold Cup challenger: ‘McCoy’s as hungry a bastard as he was 10 years ago. He has incredible passion but he’s also shown us how to conduct ourselves. McCoy has raised the bar unbelievably – whether in desire or fitness or behaviour. He’s the greatest.”