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Good posting Imperial Call. That’s working in the UK. For further insight into his, and his families, character, watch this interview with his father:
http://www.rte.ie/tv/latelate/av_20090306.html?2502829,null,228
Also, to show his and his colleagues respect for each other, you just have to read the interview of Ruby by the excellent journalist, Donald McRae, in which Ruby deflects all the post Cheltenahm attention on him to the unfortuante Matt O’Connor..
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/mar/31/horse-racing-ruby-walsh-grand-national-my-will
One of the most remarkable things in world sport at the moment must be the fact that jump racings two best jockeys, and in theory biggest rivals, are best friends. In how may other sports, particularly individual sports, does this occur. Just look at the frostiness between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickleson. It says so much about the character of both Ruby and AP that they will chase every winner competitively but the rivalry ends when the race is over. There was a good interview in the Sunday Tribube (Irish paper) which highlights the friendship.
http://www.tribune.ie/article/2009/mar/22/easy-rider/?q=Ruby%20Walsh
It is things like this friendship which makes horse racing the sport it is and Ruby and AP two of the worlds greatest sports people. I struggle to believe that someone who follows horse racing could have anything but the highest regard for Ruby.
In my opinion, he is probably the best judge of a horse as a jockey. One just has to look at the credit Paul Nicholls sent his way, in post race interviews, when Chapoturgeon won at Cheltenham. Nicholls said that it was Ruby who told him to prepare hm for that race, even though it was always likely to be Timmy Murphy’s ride.. That was why Nichools wanted Ruby to ride Denman on his comeback, to get an accurate picture to the horses well being. He is the consumate horseman.
To further show his ability at judging a horses prospects, he had the choice of 7 runners in the National. Of those, 6 were among the 17 finishers and 5 were in the first 11. The horse he chose as having the best prospect finished in 3rd place. A lucky fluke?? Absolutely not. His recent record in Nationals is 3/13/9/2/1. How many other jockeys have completed the course 5 years running.
With regards to his personality, yes he is surly in his post race interviews. I reckon this has more to do with his boredom and frustration at the typically inane questions of Rishi or Thommo. Can anyone blame him for that??? He has been on a number of chatshows and radio programs in Ireland in the aftermath of his Cheltenham performances and has shown himself to have a very balanced unassuming personality. He is a credit to horse racing and should be cherished as such while he is in his prime.
