WALSH’S BIG CHANCE TO SHINE AT THE FESTIVAL
Jockey Mark Walsh, who is yet to land a cheltenham Festival winner, will ride a clutch of JP McManus-owned big- race contenders at the meeting, headed by Alan king’s champion Hurdle favourite yanworth a week today.
Walsh, McManus’s No 2 jockey in Ireland, is chief beneficiary of the injury that has led to Barry Geraghty’s absence, and will step into the spotlight for some pressure rides.
The 30-year-old also partners Jessica Harrington- trained Jezki in the Stayers’ Hurdle, king’s Uxizandre in the Ryanair chase and Jonjo o’Neill’s More of That in the Gold cup.
king said: ‘ Mark Walsh is going to come over and have a sit on yanworth and Uxizandre, probably on Thursday. I don’t know him at all, but he’s a very good rider.’
Walsh, who has had 19 rides at the Festival, is no relation to weighing-room colleague Ruby but cousin David rode Barton Bank to be second to Mr Mulligan in the 1997 Gold cup.
Geraghty was ruled out of the Festival when charli Parcs fell at kempton 10 days ago and he was left with six broken ribs and a punctured lung.
In other riding plans for McManus horses, Noel Fehily is on Nicky Henderson’s Buveur D’Air in the champion Hurdle and renews his partnership with Harry Fry’s Unowhatimeanharry, favourite for the Stayers’ Hurdle.
Aidan coleman will partner Henderson’s My Tent or yours in the champion Hurdle and o’Neill’s Minella Rocco in the Gold cup.
A rider for Philip Hobbstrained Triumph Hurdle favourite Defi Du Seuil has not yet been confirmed but looks likely to be champion jockey Richard Johnson, who was on board when the gelding landed the Grade one Finale Hurdle at chepstow in December.
Mark Walsh is now 10-1 third favourite to be the meeting’s top jockey.