Ruby Walsh: the festival great whose riding achievements at Cheltenham are unlikely to be matched

Introducing our cast of legendary Cheltenham characters. A new instalment will be published twice a week leading up to this year's Cheltenham Festival. Today – Ruby Walsh.

What made him great

Ruby Walsh is indisputably one of the greatest jump jockeys of all time. Only Sir Anthony McCoy and Richard Johnson have ridden more winners in British and Irish jump races than Walsh, who simultaneously rode as first jockey to Willie Mullins and Paul Nicholls for much of his professional career.

That the best trainer in Ireland and Britain would accommodate this unique riding arrangement was a testament to Walsh's talent in the saddle. Walsh was Ireland's champion jockey on 12 occasions, but it was at Cheltenham where his composure and immense talent shone through.

Walsh was leading rider at the festival 11 times, an achievement commemorated by the fact that the most prolific jockey of the week now receives a statuette in the shape of the man who has ridden more festival winners than anyone else.

The early years

The first of Walsh's 59 festival winners came in 1998 aboard the Mullins-trained Alexander Banquet in the Champion Bumper. Walsh would claim the Irish amateur title a few weeks later for the second season in a row after this breakthrough Grade 1 success. In 2018 he described Alexander Banquet as his favourite festival winner, saying: "There's always something special about your first."

Although Walsh enjoyed immediate success at Aintree when winning the 2000 Grand National on his first ride in the race aboard Papillon for his father Ted, the rider would have a slight wait before striking as a professional at the Cheltenham Festival.

Walsh landed what is now known as the Plate on Martin Pipe's outsider Blowing Wind, beating McCoy on the 5-2 favourite and stable first-string Lady Cricket. After success on the 25-1 shot, Walsh would go on to ride at least one festival winner every season until his retirement in 2019.

Kauto Star regains his Gold Cup crown from Denman (purple silks) at Cheltenham in 2009 under Ruby WalshCredit: Edward Whitaker

2009: the golden year

Walsh was already firmly established on the festival scene but 2009 turned out to be pivotal in confirming his legendary status. Quevega started the week off well for Walsh, winning the first of her six Mares' Hurdles before Master Minded followed up his win in the previous year's Champion Chase.

Big Buck's, like Quevega, was a horse synonymous with Walsh, and he began his path to becoming the most successful horse in Stayers' Hurdle (then called the World Hurdle) history with the first of four victories in the race.

Success on Mikael D'Haguenet, Cooldine and American Trilogy meant Walsh had the leading jockey award sewn up by the time he lined up for the big one – the Gold Cup. The Nicholls-trained Kauto Star had provided Walsh with his first Gold Cup win in 2007 but was dethroned by stablemate Denman the following year.

Walsh's faith in Kauto Star was vindicated as he became the first and only horse to regain the Gold Cup. It was also a seventh winner of the week for Walsh, the most any jockey had ever ridden at an individual Cheltenham Festival.

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The greatest ride

While not in a Grade 1 or a championship race, Walsh's greatest festival ride arguably came in the 2011 County Hurdle. Walsh had only one of his 25 rivals behind him as he jumped the second-last hurdle on Mullins' Final Approach.

However, Walsh was coolness personified and his judgement of pace around the New course proved to be spot on as his mount began to stay on past fading horses. Final Approach jumped the final hurdle in seventh and powered up the hill to cross the line in a photo-finish with the McCoy-ridden Get Me Out Of Here. The judge gave Walsh the verdict by a nose.

When Walsh retired, McCoy described his great friend and rival as "the best jockey that I ever saw ride and ever rode against". McCoy added: "He's like Lionel Messi playing football, you can't teach kids how to be like that. He's just different." Rides like this were why he was so revered by the 20-time champion jockey.

Annie Power hits the final hurdle before her infamous fall in the 2015 Mares' Hurdle at CheltenhamCredit: Edward Whitaker

A tale of two four-timers

Douvan in the Supreme, Un De Sceaux in the Arkle and Faugheen in Champion Hurdle. The Mullins and Walsh bankers had all gone in on the opening day of the 2015 festival and it was just down to 1-2 shot Annie Power to complete the job in the Mares' Hurdle.

However, a final-flight fall when comfortably clear brought a superb day to a crashing halt for Walsh and punters alike, who stood to win an estimated £50 million had the fourth leg of the accumulator landed.

Redemption came the following year as Annie Power made amends in the Champion Hurdle, one of seven winners that week for Walsh as he matched his record-breaking 2009 tally. Walsh gained further personal redemption in 2017 when he became the first jockey to ride four winners on the same day at the festival on the Mullins quartet of Yorkhill, Un De Sceaux, Nichols Canyon and Let's Dance.

Bowing out

It was business as usual as Walsh kicked off the 2019 festival by winning his sixth Supreme Novices' Hurdle aboard the Mullins-trained Klassical Dream. Little did the crowd who greeted the opener with a customary roar know they were witnessing a legend's final festival win.

Walsh retired less than two months later after steering Kemboy to success in the Punchestown Gold Cup. His record at the festival is unrivalled and unlikely to be matched. Kauto Star, Big Buck's, Hurricane Fly, Quevega and Vautour – the list of Cheltenham greats who Walsh partnered is unmatched and that's why he is etched in festival folklore.

Read these next:

Nicky Henderson: 72 Cheltenham Festival winners and counting - including Sprinter Sacre's renaissance 

Freddie Williams: the betting ring king who was never afraid to lay bets from JP McManus 

Jonjo O'Neill: the legendary jockey and trainer who beat the odds time and time again 

Martin Pipe: the unconventional genius who became a hero to a generation of punters 

Willie Mullins: the festival's leading trainer, the £50m fall and his big hopes this year 

'That's what McCoy is all about' - the punters' pal and a Cheltenham legend 

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