Thurles comeback a possibility for Ruby Walsh less than a week before the Cheltenham Festival
Ruby Walsh appears set to return to race-riding at either Thurles or Navan on Thursday following a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a broken leg.
RUBY WALSH appears to have won his race against the clock to return from injury in time for the Cheltenham Festival.
Leading Irish jockey Walsh has been on the sidelines since suffering a broken leg in a fall from Let's Dance at Punchestown on November 18, but has always maintained he would return in time for the four-day Festival at Prestbury Park, where he has been leading rider 11 times.
The cold snap put paid to a proposed return last week. However, with a big improvement in the weather, Walsh has his sights on a return to race-riding at either Thurles or Navan, with both scheduled to race on Thursday.
"I'm ready for action. I was hoping to go last weekend but the weather put a halt to that," Walsh told Racing UK.
"We've several meetings rearranged for this week but we've still got lying snow and thawing snow, so what's going to happen is uncertain. Hopefully I'll be back Thursday or Friday with a bit of luck,"
"I've been riding out for dad (Ted Walsh) for the last two and a half weeks.
"The outlook may be a bit better for Thurles than Navan.
"I don't know what I'd be riding at this stage. Thurles on Thursday is a long way away.
"We've a couple of entries in the maiden hurdle."
As for how many rides he will take ahead of the Festival, Walsh will weigh up each opportunity.
"It's risk versus reward. For the last 15 and a half weeks the reward for me has always been the Supreme, so it's how many risks do you take. Every time you ride in a race you take a chance," he said.
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"You have to balance up how many risks you are going to take before you get the ultimate reward and for me that has always been to walk out for the Supreme Novices'.
"I've always been careful in the past and it won't be any different this year.
"Cheltenham has always been very lucky for me and I always enjoy going there.
"I probably do put a lot of emphasis on Cheltenham. That's the way I look at it."