Walsh out of Festival

RUBY WALSH will miss the final two days of the Cheltenham Festival after suffering a suspected stress fracture to his right leg.

Walsh (above), sidelined since November 18 with a break to the same leg — he returned to action just a week ago — was taken to Gloucester Royal Hospital

for X-rays after taking a fall from Al Boum Photo at the second-last of the RSA Chase.

The 38-year-old’s boss Willie Mullins said: “The information I have is that he has a stress fracture on the old break.

“He might need a cast for maybe three weeks of a month, and then he could be back.”

Walsh is due to visit his consultant in Dublin next week, but Mullins is hopeful he will be fit to ride at the Punchestown Festival, which begins on April 24.

“That would be a great result,” he added.

While Walsh’s injury caused William Hill to suspend its betting on Cheltenham’s top jockey, Mullins admitted he had yet to finalise his revised riding arrangements for tomorrow’s Gold Cup, for which 18 runners were declared yesterday.

Walsh had been due to partner Killultagh Vic for the Irish champion trainer, with Paul Townend on the stable’s Total Recall.

“Paul will be offered the ride on Killultagh Vic,” added Mullins. “I’ll leave it up to the jockeys.”