Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
INJURY BLOW Weekend action suffers as jockeys Walsh & Russell ruled out indefinitely after falls
BOTH Ruby Walsh and Davy Russell look set to miss this weekend’s action, in Naas and Navan, due to injury.
Walsh missed the winning ride on Brahma Bull in Thurles yesterday, having aggravated a (bruised) hand injury sustained when Mystic Theatre fell at Down Royal last Friday.
The multiple championjockey had eight rides in the intervening days, including two winners, but was stood down yesterday. And it is unclear when he’ll resume, with Paul Townend waiting in the wings to take over on Willie Mullins’ high-profile runners over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Davy Russell, below, was taken to hospital in Waterford for examination and x-rays on a (left) foot/ankle injury he sustained when Ronava fell at the third fence in yesterday’s Littleton Handicap Chase in
Thurles.
The extent of
Russell’s injury was unknown last night. But he was very sore leaving
Thurles and almost inevitably faces a spell on the side-lines.
Paul Townend deputised successfully for Walsh on board 2/9 shot Brahma Bull in the Thurles.ie Maiden Hurdle, second leg of a short-priced double for Mullins in Thurles. Winner of three bumpers, the Presenting gelding survived an awkward jump at the second last before stretching clear to beat Eviscerating (Jack Kennedy replacing Davy Russell) by 11 lengths.
“He’s made for chasing,” said Patrick Mullins, who arrived home mid-morning from Melbourne.
“He was quite keen today, over that longer trip, and we’ll have to teach him to settle. He’ll stay hurdling this season, but he looks a real chaser.”
First leg of the Mullins double was True Self, which built on her two bumper successes in the Templemore Mares Maiden Hurdle, scoring convincingly under Brian Hayes, who is sponsored by the filly’s owner Neville Eager.
And Noel Meade introduced a potentially smart prospect when Daly Tiger, under an ultra-cool ride by Nina Carberry cruised to victory in the bumper.