RUBY IN RACE TO BE FIT FOR CHELTENHAM

RUBY WALSH remains on course to ride at the Cheltenham Festival but is refusing to name his comeback day. The winner of a record 56 Festival races broke a leg in a fall in November. He has started riding out again at the Willie Mullins stable and had hinted he might return at today’s Fairyhouse meeting. But that comeback has been delayed for at least a week. Walsh said yesterday: ‘I had probably targeted Fairyhouse, working it out in my own head from when I had the fall — 12 weeks plus two would have been 14 weeks. ‘But things did not go that quickly — it will be 12 weeks plus three. The doctors and physios are happy. I guess I was too matter-of-fact about it.’ Walsh said he also has to take a balanced approach between seeking match practice but not taking unnecessary risks. The jockey, who is planning to spend this afternoon watching Ireland play Wales in the Six Nations, said: ‘Next weekend will be 10 days to Cheltenham, so it then becomes risk to reward. ‘How many risks do you take? We will see how we get on.’