John McIntyre

THEY thought it couldn’t be done. Up to last year’s Cheltenham Festival, three jockeys had stood apart at the great March meeting. Jamie Osborne (1992), Tony McCoy (1998) and Barry Geraghty (2003) each had the notable distinction of riding five winners at jump racing’s Olympics . . . but now one man is out on his own.

Ruby Walsh turned up at the 2009 Cheltenham festival with an impressive book of rides, but nobody envisaged that Ireland’s champion jockey would go on to dominate the four-day fixture in the most sensational manner. Not alone did Walsh win seven of the meeting’s 26 races, he came within a head of landing all four flagship events.

Only Punjabi, which narrowly edged out Celestial Halo in the opening day feature, prevented Walsh from achieving the unthinkable of a clean sweep in the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, The Ladbrokes World Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Think about it for a few seconds . . . Walsh was that close to racing immortality.

As it stands, he has long since booked his place among National Hunt’s greatest-ever jockeys. Apart from continued dominance of the Irish scene, he has struck up a staggeringly successful alliance with the UK’s top trainer, Paul Nicholls, and they have continued to dominate the big chases this season.

With Willie Mullins providing the heavy artillery at home, Walsh may have no shortage of firepower to pick from, but his big race temperament, tactical judgement and strength in a finish undoubtedly make him the best in the game at present.

Walsh, who was also Cheltenham’s leading jockey in 2004, ’06 and ’08, has been the toast of Irish punters in the Cotswolds for many years and, there is no doubt, that his legion of supporters will be banking on the 30-year-old continuing his stunning strike-rate next week. He is in a league of his own at present and another festival bonanza looks on the cards.

In general, 2009 was a memorable meeting for the Irish raiding party, finishing with nine winners, including Walsh’s treble for Mullins on Quevega (David Nicholson Mares Hurdle), Mikael D’haguenet (Ballymore Novices Hurdle) and Cooldine (RSA Chase). Many punters will, as usual, latch onto Walsh’s mounts and if he can continue booting home the winners at Cheltenham, the bookmakers will again be forced to dive for cover.

Walsh, who trails Pat Taaffe (25 winners) by just one in the all-time Cheltenham festival jockeys’ roll of honour, will be on five strong ante post favourites next week – namely, Master Minded (Champion Chase), Kauto Star (Gold Cup), Big Buck’s (Ladbrokes World Hurdle), Quevega (David Nicholson Mares Hurdle) and Poquelin (Ryanair Chase) and with a host of other fancied mounts, including Secant Star in the Triumph Hurdle, it’s easy to understand why the layers are only quoting miserly odds of 1/2 against his successful retention of the leading riders’ crown.

Big Buck’s is probably perceived as Walsh’s festival banker giving the reigning champion’s continued dominance of the staying hurdle division, but he represents shocking value (8/13) and , in the circumstances, it’s surely worth rowing in behind Tidal Bay, the former Arkle Chase winner, and another horse which has reverted to the smaller obstacles after losing his way over fences.

Furthermore, Howard Johnson’s inmate has only been beaten once over hurdles and created a big impression in making short work of a decent enough field in the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham in January. Tidal Bay remains unexposed over the three mile trip and having a good track record (four wins from eight runs) is another positive. The nine-year-old is tipped to topple the meeting’s likeliest short priced market leader. Karabak looks best of the rest.

Walsh will again be partnering Celestial Halo in Tuesday’s Champion Hurdle, but the front-running six-year-old has been drifting in the betting after getting turned over by the revitalised Khyber Kim in the Boylesports International Hurdle at Cheltenham last December before having no answer to Solwhit in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown the following month. Both runs were disappointing in the context of a barnstorming seasonal re-appearance in a handicap at Wincanton.

For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune.