Ruby Walsh among market principals to land Pat Smullen Champions charity race

Ruby Walsh has been installed as 7-2 second favourite to win the Pat Smullen Champions Race for Cancer Trials Ireland at the Curragh on Sunday week.

The race, featuring a star-studded line-up of some of racing's greatest riders, will mark Walsh's return to the saddle on the racecourse for the first time since his retirement in May after winning the Punchestown Gold Cup on Kemboy.

Walsh, the most recently retired of the riders, was confident fitness would not prove an issue when warming up for next weekend's race on Tuesday morning at Joseph O'Brien's Owning Hill base.

"If I'm not fitter than these I may give it up!" he laughed. "I've only been retired a few months, so hopefully I do have an advantage but it's only going to be a mile. I've been riding out, no schooling, but plenty of work."

Ruby Walsh, Sir Anthony McCoy, Paul Carberry, Charlie Swan and Joseph O'Brien warming up for the Pat Smullen Champions Race for Cancer Trials Ireland at O'Brien's Owning Hill base on TuesdayCredit: INPHO/Morgan Treacy

It is not unusual to see the name O'Brien associated with favouritism and Joseph is 3-1 market leader for the charity race, which has been priced up by Paddy Power.

The 20-time champion jockey Sir Anthony McCoy, who won the Leger Legends at Doncaster five months after retiring in 2015, insists this will be his last race and is next in the market after O'Brien and Walsh at 4-1.

Smullen had planned on taking part in the mile-long fundraiser after announcing his retirement from the saddle in May following recovery from an initial battle with pancreatic cancer.

However, the nine-time Irish champion jockey and Epsom Derby winner was forced to withdraw from the race on medical grounds due to a health setback.

Cancer Trials Ireland has two pancreatic trials ready to start and all proceeds raised over Longines Irish Champions Weekend will ensure that they do as soon as possible.

Pat Smullen Champions Race for Cancer Trials Ireland

Paddy Power 3 Joseph O'Brien, 7-2 Ruby Walsh, 4 Sir Anthony McCoy, 5 Richard Hughes, Johnny Murtagh, 9 Kieren Fallon, 11 Paul Carberry, 14 Charlie Swan, 20 Ted Durcan.

If you would like to donate to Cancer Trials Ireland you can do so here