---
title: "Ruby Walsh wary of more Cheltenham casualties as Festival looms"
canonical: "https://readhorseracing.com/2017/03/07/ruby-walsh-wary-cheltenham-casualties-festival-looms/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Daniel Archer"
section: "News"
published: "2017-03-07T10:50:58Z"
modified: "2017-03-07T10:51:38Z"
---

# Ruby Walsh wary of more Cheltenham casualties as Festival looms

One of the finest jockeys of his generation, since permanently switching back to Ireland after riding as Paul Nicholls’ stable-jockey, Ruby Walsh has struck up a fine partnership with Closutton handler Willie Mullins.

However, Walsh has seen a number of big-race contenders from Ireland’s champion Jumps trainer’s yard fall by the wayside in recent months, having been ruled out of the Festival through injury.

That includes former Champion Hurdle winners Faugheen and Annie Power who are both ruled out of the two-mile championship showpiece, Killultagh Vic, Arkle hope Min as well as the ill-fated Vautour and Avant Tout.

Walsh is the most success jockey of all time at the Festival, having notched up 52 winners. He has been crowned the Boodles Leading Jockey at the Festival a incredible 10 times and is seen as the ultimate big-race jockey.

However, he admits to having nerves ahead of this year’s Festival as Mullins begins to ready his team for their assault at Prestbury Park, hoping no more injuries will hit the Closutton handler’s battalion.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Walsh said:

> It has been a busy week, working horses for Cheltenham and touch-wood, things are going right thus far – for a change this season. Next week will be vital. You’re turning them up, and the last coupled of bits of work and schooling sessions have to be done, and there’s the ever-present potential for something to go wrong.
>
> It has been a funny season for the yard, but they seem to be in good order now. We’ve had stop-start campaigns with horses, and horses getting injured. It’s a tense time for every yard.