Walsh jnr gives Festival Irish flavour

Ruby Walsh was today booked to ride See More Business in the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup - the National Hunt Festival meeting his father, Irish trainer Ted Walsh, believes should not be taking place.

The 21-year-old jockey, who completed a Grand National double last season when winning at Aintree on Papillon and the Irish version on Commanche Court, replaces Mick Fitzgerald on the Paul Nicholls-trained chaser, the likely favourite for the £290,000 event on Thursday week in the absence of French challenger, First Gold.

Fitzgerald instead partners Marlborough, honouring his retainer to trainer Nicky Henderson. Nicholls has long been aware that, if both chasers remained fit, he would be left without a jockey for his 1999 Gold Cup and dual King George VI Chase hero.

Nicholls revealed that See More Business's part-owner, Paul Barber, approached Walsh junior with the ride.

"Ruby didn't need much persuading." Nicholls said. "He also partners Fadalko, in whatever Festival race he runs in."

Walsh is able to step into the breach because his likely Gold Cup ride - narrow Racing Post Chase runner-up Commanche Court, trained by his father - won't travel to Britain after the Irish Department of Agriculture discouraged the movement of both animals and people across the Irish Sea. Irish trainers unanimously agreed not to send their horses to the Festival.

On Channel 4 Racing's Morning Line programme last Saturday, Walsh snr accused Britain of "not doing enough" to prevent the spread of the highly infectious disease. His son has been quoted saying he would not attend the Festival.

But, despite the fact that Irish racegoers have been asked not to make their annual pilgrimage to Cheltenham, Ruby has his father's full support for taking part.

"I haven't spoken to Ruby about See More Business, but he asked me last week what he should do if he was offered a ride at the Cheltenham Festival. I said to him that he's got to earn a few quid, whether it's in Britain or elsewhere. I said he himself poses no threat of spreading foot-and-mouth disease to Ireland and that I don't mind him going," said Ted Walsh.