Ruby Walsh has announced his retirement.

Beechwoodspark

Ruby Walsh has just announced he is to retire with immediate effect after winning the Gold Cup at Punchestown.

Legend of a jockey

Enjoy the retirement Ruby!!

Feel free to share memories of the man who has given the game so much over the years

blackcard

Once in a lifetime jockey. Won more races at Cheltenham than any other jockey

Beechwoodspark

happy man by the looks of it

Slattsy

No better sight than Ruby pulling double coming down the Cheltenhan hill. Arousing.

Badabing

Winning on Annie Power in the Champion hurdle is a personal highlight after the year before.

Infernal Racket

For me he's the greatest. Thoughts?

slimshady007

Gerry G wrote: »

For me he's the greatest. Thoughts?

I'd say he's certainly the most talented and I dont think there's another jockey who could've got what he got from certain horses like Kauto Star and Hurricane Fly (remember that King George when AP was aboard Kauto). I'd have some gripes with him on certain rides but the sight of him coming round the home turn at Cheltenham pulling double was some buzz over the past 10-15 years.

Francie Barrett

An arsehole of the highest order, but at the same time, the best jockey of his generation.

Infernal Racket

slimshady007 wrote: »

I'd say he's certainly the most talented and I dont think there's another jockey who could've got what he got from certain horses like Kauto Star and Hurricane Fly (remember that King George when AP was aboard Kauto). I'd have some gripes with him on certain rides but the sight of him coming round the home turn at Cheltenham pulling double was some buzz over the past 10-15 years.

His lack of movement on the horse was a thing of magic. How he controlled every horse with only the slightest of movements

paw patrol

the bookies favourite, they'll miss him.

He was great in the saddle alright

sdoc13

Francie Barrett wrote:

An arsehole of the highest order, but at the same time, the best jockey of his generation.

Best I have ever seen or am ever likely to see.

But yes not likeable and it shows through the public mask occasionally.
But if I had a horse he would be the 1 u would want on it.

Motivator

I had a feeling he’d go, I said it on one of the other threads last week that something seemed different about him the last couple of months. His kids were at all the big festivals with him and his celebration when Min won at Aintree seemed a small bit over the top than what we usually see from him.

Good luck to him, he’s not my cup of tea personally but then again I don’t know the man so who am I to judge him. What I do know is he was some jockey, as stylish and as cute as you’ll ever see. Best of luck to him.

Francie Barrett

Motivator wrote: »

I had a feeling he’d go, I said it on one of the other threads last week that something seemed different about him the last couple of months. His kids were at all the big festivals with him and his celebration when Min won at Aintree seemed a small bit over the top than what we usually see from him.

Good luck to him, he’s not my cup of tea personally but then again I don’t know the man so who am I to judge him. What I do know is he was some jockey, as stylish and as cute as you’ll ever see. Best of luck to him.

You did actually, nailed it.

naughto

He won me plenty of money and lost me a ball of it as well .
Best of luck to him

4068ac1elhodqr

Potential winner of Irish Sports Personality of the Year 2019.

jkbkhhho7t

The fact all of Ireland were on papillon and hedgehunter is enough on its own to be remembered fondly

BumperD

Wish him well. Glad he got out now in relative reasonable shape

Wonder will Barry G follow this weekend

madmoose

For me he is by far the best and i will miss him, especially at the Festival. From the front was there ever anybody better controlling the pace of the race?

Shemale

Francie Barrett wrote: »

You did actually, nailed it.

#metoo

Pissartist

Great Jockey and along with Willie Mullins made my day many a time,
but like many others have said, i never warmed to his personality and would not trust him,
I also think his contract with Paddy Power was bringing the sport into disrepute.

realdanbreen

Something very strange about retiring mid way during punchestown with rides booked for the remainder of the week.

Beechwoodspark

realdanbreen wrote: »

Something very strange about retiring mid way during punchestown with rides booked for the remainder of the week.

God forbid but the Next race could go wrong. This is the constant risk jockeys take

realdanbreen

realdanbreen wrote: »

Something very strange about retiring mid way during punchestown with rides booked for the remainder of the week.

He wanted to go out on a high and he did.

Gavin "shels"

Gutted to see Ruby go but it seems it was to be expected! What a way to retire! Another hole in the jump jockeys scene.

Brock Turnpike

Not a nice man, but a nice jockey.

ToBeFrank123

I've had a lot of time for him since he rode a winner I bet on at Galway a couple years ago.

Wish him well in retirement.

realdanbreen

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

God forbid but the Next race could go wrong. This is the constant risk jockeys take

But that has been the case all through his career, why jump ship midway through a festival meeting with rides booked for the week and not even (supposedly) telling your main employer!. I'm sure there are punters out there who have bet on upcoming races that Ruby was supposed to be riding in.

Francie Barrett

“I didn’t know it was coming,” said Mullins. “The ‘R’ word is never discussed in our house, for people or horses. Ruby just got off Kemboy and said, 'Can you find someone for Livelovelaugh later?'

"I looked at him and wondered if he was lame or concussed, and then he said, 'I’m out of here', and the penny dropped. I pulled him back then and just shook his hand. It was totally out of the blue.”

Doesn't strike me as being particularly respectful to Mullins or the other owners who were expecting him to be riding for them.

Slattsy

Francie Barrett wrote: »

Doesn't strike me as being particularly respectful to Mullins or the other owners who were expecting him to be riding for them.

I'd hazard a guess he knew alright, and is going along with the story (oh look how mad I am I just quit etc etc) as it makes headlines.

Outlaw Pete

realdanbreen wrote: »

Something very strange about retiring mid way during punchestown with rides booked for the remainder of the week.

There is of course but it's apt that he did it this way as he's going out in a way that is in keeping with how he always conducted himself as a jockey and that's not giving two fs about the punter who has kept him living the life he's accustomed to. Many will have backed horses today merely because he was declared to ride them. If he wanted that last big win, fine, but have the chutzpah to declare it.

McCoy's last day as a jockey was well announced. Neither of his last two rides where winning ones. He could easily have had a glory exit too but instead he rode the last two mounts he was declared on.

Ruby said yesterday we will see him more as a pundit and in his role with PP. Oh whoopie. Can't wait. Yesterday PP were playing clips of his analysis before each race and on one he litterly said that the 2nd favourite hasn't beat the favourite before so chances are he won't again but you never know. No wonder he's retiring if PP are going to line his pockets for churning out race analysis such as that drivel.

I wish him well health wise, as I do most people, but I genuinely couldn't give a monkey's about the man on a professional level. Another reason to avoid PP shops if he's going to be upping his work with them though.

One of the greatest jump jockeys of all time but he never rode for punters and that attitude understandbly sours how many will remember him.

IAMAMORON

He has a great future doing kissograms. Best of luck with that Ruby.

ToBeFrank123

He's had every injury under the sun. There's been several cases of jockeys in recent years being paralysed.
He's wealthy and relatively healthy and that's the perfect time to get out and on a winning note too.

I personally think jump jockeys have steal b*lls, figuratively and literally.

spurshero

Rylee Nutritious Catamaran wrote: »

Potential winner of Irish Sports Personality of the Year 2019.

The personality part would rule him out of this

ToBeFrank123

spurshero wrote: »

The personality part would rule him out of this

It didn't stop Padraig Harrington winning it way back in 2003!

Brock Turnpike

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

realdanbreen wrote: »

Something very strange about retiring mid way during punchestown with rides booked for the remainder of the week.

There is of course but it's apt that he did it this way as he's going out in a way that is in keeping with how he always conducted himself as a jockey and that's not giving two fs about the punter who has kept him living the life he's accustomed to. Many will have backed horses today merely because he was declared to ride them. If he wanted that last big win, fine, but have the chutzpah to declare it.

McCoy's last day as a jockey was well announced. Neither of his last two rides where winning ones. He could easily have had a glory exit too but instead he rode the last two mounts he was declared on.

Ruby said yesterday we will see him more as a pundit and in his role with PP. Oh whoopie. Can't wait. Yesterday PP were playing clips of his analysis before each race and on one he litterly said that the 2nd favourite hasn't beat the favourite before so chances are he won't again but you never know. No wonder he's retiring if PP are going to line his pockets for churning out race analysis such as that drivel.

I wish him well health wise, as I do most people, but I genuinely couldn't give a monkey's about the man on a professional level. Another reason to avoid PP shops if he's going to be upping his work with them though.

One of the greatest jump jockeys of all time but he never rode for punters and that attitude understandbly sours how many will remember him.

"HE NEVER RODE FOR PUNTERS" WTF??

ON ZEE BRIDLE

Great horseman, horrible personality

Outlaw Pete

No need to shout...

Walsh rode for himself and sometimes trainers / owners (the latter debated by some) but he never gave a toss about riding a horse to get it's best position. That there were punters who had their money on it was something he couldn't care less about. If anything he had a disdain for the common punter.

Jockeys that used to go down as greats gave their all for the right reasons and that in my mind is with an eye on those responsible for providing the riches which are garnered from being successful in the sport. Same as in any sport. In football you have it with some players who play for the team and the fans and others who are there for the pay. Walsh, as he said yesterday, lived for the big day.

Same with his info for PP by the way, its given with zero respect for those who it's designed to inform the best of.

piplip87

Brock Turnpike wrote: »

"HE NEVER RODE FOR PUNTERS" WTF??

I don't get that comment either.

A couple of thousand winners, some at very tasty prices, possibly hundreds of Ruby doubles landed over the years. Dominated the biggest festivals with plenty of winning favourites ? I'd say cost bookmakers hundreds of millions over the last 24 years.

Some people are still obsessed with losing a fiver on Annie Power all those years ago. Not realising that if you wanted to fix a race there's much much easier ways than falling off

Beechwoodspark

What exactly does “never rode for the punters” mean?

Surely to Jasus a jockey wants to win every race he/she is in.

Of course it is hugely dependent on the horse, the trainer, the competition, the course, the weather and of course sheer chance.

Outlaw Pete

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

Surely to Jasus a jockey wants to win every race he/she is in..

Ah would ya come on. We're talking about Ruby bloody Walsh, a jockey who clearly turned it on when it suited him and gave up on many horses getting best possible position when he saw his chance of a win was gone, if that is, he had put the horse in the race at all that day.

Why do you think he had the reputation he did if he always rode a horse to get the best from it that he could.

As for those saying they don't know what riding for the punters mean, I find that hard to grasp from people who back horses on the regular.

Quite simply: there are jockeys that ride with the big day only in mind, and then there are those that give 100%, no matter the ride or meeting. The latter are jockeys you can trust to give their all. Ruby was never one of those jockeys. About as genuine as his old man.

Brock Turnpike

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

No need to shout...

Walsh rode for himself and sometimes trainers / owners (the latter debated by some) but he never gave a toss about riding a horse to get it's best position. That there were punters who had their money on it was something he couldn't care less about. If anything he had a disdain for the common punter.

Jockeys that used to go down as greats gave their all for the right reasons and that in my mind is with an eye on those responsible for providing the riches which are garnered from being successful in the sport. Same as in any sport. In football you have it with some players who play for the team and the fans and others who are there for the pay. Walsh, as he said yesterday, lived for the big day.

Same with his info for PP by the way, its given with zero respect for those who it's designed to inform the best of.

Why would he care about riding for the punter? And if you thing Footballers plan for the fans you're extremely naive.

Shemale

ToBeFrank123 wrote: »

I've had a lot of time for him since he rode a winner I bet on at Galway a couple years ago.

Wish him well in retirement.

You must be a terrible punter if that is all it takes to have a lot of time for someone

realdanbreen

realdanbreen wrote: »

But that has been the case all through his career, why jump ship midway through a festival meeting with rides booked for the week and not even (supposedly) telling your main employer!. I'm sure there are punters out there who have bet on upcoming races that Ruby was supposed to be riding in.

He wanted to do like Katie and Nina and retire with a winner at Punchestown.

4068ac1elhodqr

spurshero wrote: »

The personality part would rule him out of this

Early price for this has gone, from 1.8 to 1.57 (novelty-specials).

To be fair he hasn't knocked the phone out of anyones hand or launched fencing at a bus. Other contenders are the 42yr marathon runner (Mayo born, Sinead Diver), or pleasent fellow: Rory Best (also on the uk's version).

Do however like this for activity/market for Walsh:
'Take part in DWTS Ireland 2020 @15' (assuming all limbs still have free range of movement).

Hoboo

https://twitter.com/paddypower/status/1123640795666448389?s=08

Jumped off a horse at 40mph, course he did.

BumperD

https://www.racingpost.com/news/ruby-walsh/words-of-wisdom-ruby-walsh-on-injury-lazy-people-and-his-greatest-rival/378792

Words of wisdom....hummmm :rolleyes:

Shemale

ToBeFrank123 wrote: »

It didn't stop Padraig Harrington winning it way back in 2003!

Harrington is Peter Kay compared with Ruby, who is more like Jeremy Paxman

Shemale

Is Townend confirmed as Mullins number one now?

Imhof Tank

Shemale wrote: »

Is Townend confirmed as Mullins number one now?

Not at all. Willie will never confirm that, master of obfuscation.

Wouldn't be surprised to see PT and David Mullins sharing the top rides now

Pissartist

Shemale wrote: »

Is Townend confirmed as Mullins number one now?

Yes Willie said it the day Ruby retired