Updated at 18.30
RUBY WALSH WILL miss the remainder of the Cheltenham Festival due to injury.
The jockey came off Al Boum Photo at the penultimate jump of the RSA Chase today, as Davy Russell and Presenting Percy (5/2F) claimed victory from Monalee (10/3) and Elegant Escape (9/1).
Ruby Walsh has been stood down for the rest of the day @CheltenhamRaces with a suspected broken leg. Jockey changes:
— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) March 14, 2018
Paul Townend - Max Dynamite (2.50)
Patrick Mullins - Douvan (3.30)#TheFestival pic.twitter.com/49Vz3CAWss
Walsh was helped into an ambulance by the course doctors and his father Ted, before heading to hospital to find out the extent of the injury. After undergoing an x-ray, his agent and sister, Jennifer, has released a brief statement.
Unfortunately he has aggravated a recent leg injury and will see his consultant in Dublin next week for further assessment,” it reads.
Directly after the incident, he was stood down for the day and trainer Willie Mullins had suggested that it could be a repeat of the broken leg he suffered last November when Let’s Dance fell at Punchestown.
It is only six days since he returned from that setback at Thurles.
“It looks like he has broken the same leg again,” Mullins told the Racing Post. “He’s going for x-rays to establish what damage he’s done but the doctor suggested that it looks like the same injury.
“It is very disappointing for Ruby. It looks like it could be the fracture reopened but you hear all that and five hours later you find out that the x-rays were clear. But it is very, very sore, right in the same spot.
He just couldn’t get his leg out in time and the horse rolled over on him. It looked a simple fall and when I saw the horse going down I thought he’d roll off. I took my eyes off it and I was amazed he was still down.”
The Walsh-Mullins combo enjoyed two Grade One wins yesterday — with Footpad in the Arkle and Benie Des Dieux in the Mares’ Hurdle — but he won’t play any further part this week.
- Originally published at 14.50