J P McManus jockey Mark Walsh set to return in time for Cheltenham Festival

07 March 2023 , 14:51

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Mark Walsh: set to return to action on Saturday after a month out (Image: PA)

Mark Walsh, jump racing's biggest owner J P McManus's retained jockey, will return to action this weekend just in time for the Cheltenham Festival.

Walsh, 36, has not ridden since he was rushed to hospital after damaging vertebrae in a fall at Leopardstown during the Dublin Racing Festival a month ago.

Walsh rode two winners at last year’s Festival to take his total score to seven at the meeting and will have the pick of McManus’s Irish-trained challengers next week.

He has also been booked to ride 2021 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Minella Indo, who finished second in the race to A Plus Tard 12 months ago.

Walsh’s agent Garry Cribbin said: “All is going well at the minute and hopefully he will be back at the weekend, we are just waiting to see what entries there are. If there are rides this weekend, he’ll be back.

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“Mark is on the straight and narrow now. He’s had a good run of it in his recovery. He is back riding out and everything is going well.”

Walsh has endured a stop-start winter and was only six rides into a comeback from rib injuries, which had ruled him out for six weeks, sustained at the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.

He would have a choice of fixtures to ride at this weekend with meetings scheduled at Navan and Gowran Park on Saturday and Naas and Limerick on Sunday.

Jockey Mark Walsh celebrates aboard Elimay after winning the Mrs Paddy Power Mares' Chase (PA)

Walsh recorded his biggest Cheltenham Festival success on Espoir d’Allen in the 2019 Unibet Champion Hurdle and last year won the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase on Elimay and the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle on Brazil.

The McManus-owned Risk Belle, the filly he took the heavy fall from last month, is a leading contender for the Boodles as well as Tekao.

With multiple McManus entries at the Festival, Walsh’s big race mounts could include Saint Roi in the Arkle, Gentleman De Me in the Champion Chase and Janidil or Fakir D’oudairies in the Ryanair Chase.

Jon Lees