Ruby Walsh gives his picks for day two of the Cheltenham Festival
Majborough is the favourite for the Chmapion Chase at Cheltenham today Photo: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
“No Drama This End is a gorgeous horse who impressed me with his jumping at Sandown, and you have to jump the last three well to win a Turners, but I think King Rasko Grey will come forward from Leopardstown and he will be right in the mix.
"That was only his second start over hurdles and he will have learned plenty.”
“I’m yet to be convinced by Final Demand, as I thought he was brilliant at Navan but pretty workmanlike at Limerick as I thought the horses who were close up behind him coming down the hill shouldn’t even have been in the picture.
"I like Kaid d’Authie, the penny has really started to drop with him and he’s really kept on improving. This looks a deeper race than we’ve had for a while, but he looks up to it.”
“This is surely Majborough’s to lose after Marine Nationale’s withdrawal. I didn’t like him at Cork – I thought, ‘geez, you’ve had four runs over fences as a novice and you’re running around like that on the approach’, - but I think cheekpieces really turned him inside out last time.
"The Champion Chase has a funny record of favourites blowing out in the last couple of years, but if he gets into a rhythm he’ll be impossible to beat.”
“Love Sign d'Aunou was very good at Naas, as was The Irish Avatar at Navan, but I think the value call here lies with Keep Him Company who has that little bit more experience, was good at Leopardstown over Christmas, and I thought he was pretty tough there.”
Ruby Walsh is the winning most jockey at the Cheltenham Festival with 59 wins and was speaking to Racing TV.
