Legendary Jockey Ruby Walsh recently spoke to Racing TV, to discuss:
- Looking Ahead To Cheltenham’s November Meeting This Weekend
- Cheltenham Festival Talk Ramping Up
- Ireland vs UK – Who Will Dominate This Season
- His Horses To Follow This Season
Racing TV is the only channel showing every race live from Cheltenham’s November Meeting – start your FREE MONTH TRIAL now at racingtv.com/freetrial but hurry, there are only 500 left.
Looking Ahead To Cheltenham’s November Meeting
I look at it and think that when the cameras are at Wetherby, Down Royal, the November meeting at Cheltenham, that’s when you know the jumps season is in full flow, it steps up again this weekend.
The November Meeting is not the Cheltenham Festival, but it’s like a mini one. There are always great crowds, a great atmosphere, it’s a really enjoyable vibe. I am really looking forward to it.
It really starts ramping up this weekend.
You could have the likes of Delta Work and Galvin in the Cross Country race – they are two massive names. Who knows who we might see in the novice hurdle or novice chase, the likes of Unexpected Party for example, who won’t be a novice for much longer, but he could run.
You’re looking at the November Meeting and wondering who are going to be the future stars, you saw Down Memory Lane in Down Royal, Ile Atlantique at Gowran Park, on Friday there was Brighterdaysahead and Mahon’s Way on Sunday, horses coming out of bumpers, horses coming from foreign fields, all that new talent is coming through and it’s such an exciting time of year.
Paddy Power Gold Cup odds – via Betway
- Stage Star 4/1
- Unexpected Party 6/1
- Notlongtilmay 7/1
- The Real Whacker 7/1
- Fugitif 15/2
- Il Ridoto 8/1
- Angel’s Breath 11/1
- 14/1 bar
It Isn’t Too Early For Cheltenham Festival Talk
I suppose that’s what punters want. Are you going to give somebody an antepost price about a horse for a novice chase in December, when you don’t really know where it is going to go, like to the Challow or the Tolworth?
Or in Ireland, will they go to the Royal Bond, wait for the Christmas Festival at Leopardstown, the Lawlors at Naas after Christmas? There are plenty of good races along the way but ultimately, it is about Cheltenham where they are almost likely to meet so that’s why we often get these quotes early on.
In football, you won’t get a price about a team reaching the quarter final or semi final of the cup, but you’ll probably get a price on them winning the final.
Irish Dominance Set To Continue
Gordon Elliott had a brilliant weekend at Down Royal. He is the one that keeps driving Willie Mullins forward, then there’s the likes of Henry de Bromhead and Gavin Cromwell who are driving Gordon forward. Every sport requires competition.
The Irish dominance of the racing isn’t going away just yet, but that wheel will eventually turn, just not yet. There’s a lot of good horses in Ireland and a lot of people who are investing big money in Irish racing, which is a huge help. The success will have to keep coming and you just don’t know what the next generation will bring.
My Horses To Follow This Season
What’s created the impression so far and what’s to come but from what I have seen so far this year, I think that Found A Fifty was very impressive at Down Royal in the novice chase, Grangeclare West was impressive at Naas on Sunday and also Affordale Fury was very good at Galway at the end of October.
In the UK, I thought that Iroko was very good at Warwick, I really liked Stay Away Fay at Exeter and Knappers Hill at Exeter. Both of them looked impressive in the chasing division.
Over the hurdles in the UK, I liked Personal Ambition at Warwick, Willmount at Newbury, and Deafening Silence was tough at Exeter for the Skelton’s.
In Ireland, Mahon’s Way and Slade Steel looked really good for Henry de Bromhead, Brighter Days Ahead and Down Memory Lane for Gordon Elliott too, Ile Atlantique for Willie Mullins, and Redstone for Gavin Cromwell.
Cromwell has a big team and they are in really good form, he had a brilliant October festival at Cheltenham and has trained Cheltenham Festival winners.
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