SERIAL Cheltenham Festival winner Ruby Walsh has become one of TV’s regular pundits within the horse racing industry.
Walsh, 42, is the third most prolific winner in British and Irish jump racing history behind Sir Anthony McCoy and Richard Johnson.
However, the ex-superstar jockey currently holds the crown for the amount of victories accumulated at Cheltenham.
But who exactly is he and how many Cheltenham Festivals wins did he get?
Born in Kill, County Kildare, Ireland on May 14 1979, Ruby was raised in a horse racing household.
His father is former champion amateur jockey, Ted Walsh – his sister, Katie Walsh, is one of the top female jockeys and Walsh’s brother Ted Junior, married female jockey Nina Carberry.
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The three-time International Jockey of the Year had two Irish amateur titles in his cabinet by age 18.
And won the English Grand National in 2000 at his first attempt, on Papillon which was a horse trained by his father.
By the end of 2007, Walsh had won three of the four Nationals: the Irish on Numbersixvalverde, the Welsh on Silver Birch and the English on Hedgehunter.
He also set the fastest ever century of winners in Irish jumps history aboard Bluestone Lad at Gowran Park and followed that up with his 1000th Irish winner in 2008.
But it was 2009 when the legendary jockey officially announced himself to the Cheltenham Festival, achieving a record-breaking seven winners over four days.
Which is a meet where Ruby has stamped his authority on the most before making the transition into the punditry on RTE, ITV and Racing TV after hanging up the saddle in 2019.
Ruby Walsh accomplished a total of 2756 wins in his entire horse racing career.
But the legendary jockey accumulated 59 career winners at the Cheltenham Festival alone, which is the most to date.
He has secured the leading rider award eleven times, making him the most successful rider at the meet in history.
And Walsh speaks about his journey in a TG4 documentary called “Jump Boys” which he featured in.
