It’s only around the corner now.
The Irish have a huge interest in the Cheltenham festival. Hordes will flock to Pretsbury Park next week to watch it all unfold. At home, all eyes will be glued to RTÉ and ITV as the cream of National Hunt racing battles it out over the famous hill.
For many interested Irish, Ruby Walsh is the face of the magic. The Kildare man holds the most wins of any jockey in Cheltenham history, passing the famous post first 56 times in his career. That’s 22 more than his nearest challenger, Meath man Barry Geraghty.
In recent years, Ruby has taken over. He’s been the Cotswolds’ Champion jockey for nine of the last ten years.
When the Kildare man suffered a broken leg after a nasty fall a few months ago, punters, spectators and fans alike fretted that the master horseman might miss out on the mid-March magic.
Thankfully, the 38-year-old’s inherent healing powers have stayed true to character and he’s ready to return to the saddle just in time for next week.
The Irish Betting firm Paddy Power marked the occasion brilliantly with a magnificent mural of Ruby and perhaps his most famous partner Faugheen in Dublin’s City Centre.
The artwork features an image of Ruby on the front of a building that is home to The Punnet Food Emporium on Lower Mount Street and a second of Faugheen, located just around the corner.
“That’s a bit dramatic, isn’t it? The likeness is remarkable – bar the smile. If I’m grinning like that by the time the Cheltenham Gold Cup rolls around next Friday I’ll be a happy man,” commented Ruby.
In true Ruby style, he signed off with a classic one-liner – worrying that onlookers will be so drawn to the statue they may take their eyes off the road.
“I’m taking no responsibility for any possible pile ups on Lower Mount Street in the meantime though,”
In order to ramp up the hype even more, Paddy Power are giving fans the chance to see Ruby in action at Cheltenham. They are offering an all-expenses paid trip for two to the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup.
To be in with a chance to win, all fans have to do is capture a picture of the artwork from the perfect position marked by Paddy Power on the path opposite the piece and post it to Twitter or Instagram with the #rubysreturn.
Bring it on.
