Absent Walsh still on track for seventh festival riders' title

The Cheltenham Festival’s most successful jockey, Ruby Walsh, misses out on this weekend’s action but is resolutely on track to try to secure a seventh leading rider title next week.

Walsh hasn’t been seen in action since last Sunday when taking back-to-back falls at Leopardstown and isn’t engaged at either Sandown’s Imperial Cup meeting today, or Naas tomorrow where Willie Mullins has a number of fancied entries.

However, his sister, and agent, Jennifer Walsh, reported yesterday: “He’s fine. He had a couple of heavy falls at Leopardstown on Sunday. Willie and Paul (Nicholls) want him for Cheltenham and nowhere before then, so he just decided to take the weekend off. He’s looking forward to the festival and is all set for the first race on Tuesday.”

Walsh is out on his own in terms of festival success with a total of 34 winners, including all the major championship events.

His book of rides this time includes the Champion Hurdle favourite Hurricane Fly and the history-seeking mare Quevega on the first day alone.

Walsh’s great rival on the home front, Davy Russell, will in contrast be busy at Naas with five rides including Dedigout who can collect in the Grade Three Directors Plate Novice Chase.

Out of the money

That this Grade One-winning hurdler is appearing here rather than at Cheltenham will be a disappointment for Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown team, given the hopes invested in him after his impressive debut over fences earlier in the season.

After that Dedigout finished runner-up in the Drinmore, and then out of the money in another Grade One.

He returned to action with a run in the Flyingbolt at Navan, form that sees him with plenty to find with Twinlight on who Emmett Mullins substitutes for Walsh.

But this race is half a mile further and that has to suit a dour stayer like Dedigout, especially on ground softened further by recent rain.

Tomorrow’s big-money pot is the €40,000 Woodlands Park Leinster National which sees Long Run’s jockey, Sam Waley-Cohen, team up with the 2011 Grand National runner-up Oscar Time.

Stamina test

Martin Lynch’s horse was last in the Bobbyjo recently and has only Rare Bob above him in the ratings for tomorrow’s race which looks like turning in a real stamina test.

That will suit the Thyestes runner-up Tarquinius ideally and he is taken to beat the Thyestes third, Panther Claw, who is likely to need even further.

Zuzka returns to action in the opening Listed hurdle and the Royal Bond third is rated to make her presence felt. Moscow Mannon in contrast ran recently behind another Mullins mare, Annie Power, but should strip a lot sharper for that effort.

Foxrock was an expensive odds-on flop on his last start and might be best avoided in the three-mile maiden in favour of the point winner, and course bumper scorer, Wedding Present.

Aidan O’Brien unveils another bumper horse in Angel Chorus but this looks a good opportunity for Nina Carberry’s mount, Couleur France.

Queen Quevega Left in World Hurdle

Willie Mullins has elected to leave his star mare Quevega among the 18 possible contenders for Thursday’s Ladbrokes World Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival after yesterday’s forfeit stage.

The champion trainer has insisted an attempt on a fifth OLBG Mares Hurdle on Tuesday is Quevega’s priority and yet has kept open the option of a possible remarkable festival double.

As expected Noel Meade’s Monskland has been taken out due to a recent setback but Mullins has also left in his former festival winner, Fiveforthree.

Thursday’s other Grade One feature is the Ryanair Chase and both Sizing Europe and First Lieutenant, Irish stars with alternatives in the Champion Chase and the Gold Cup respectively, remain among the 11 left in.