Ruby Walsh - rides since a chase win

I have used my time in work very well and discovered that it is exactly 40 chases at Cheltenham since Ruby won on Kauto in 2009.
Some of the results are shocking when you look back over them. His line in chases at the 2012 festival reads:

4,PU,F,PU,F,PU,PU,PU,PU,BD!!! Of those 40 races since he actually has only placed top 3 on 3 occasions.

It's a fascinating issue but not one you hear mentioned a lot about by the pundits, perhaps Geoff Banks could mention it to Walsh next time he sees him

Hahaha!

I suppose the demise of Kauto, Denman, Master Minded was the start of it, and Mullins trains a lot more top hurdlers than chasers but you really would have expected a better return for the number of big rides he enjoys in the graded races.

I imagine this run will end after the first chase this time round. It's an alarming record, but I'm not currently willing to put it down to anything more than coincidence.

It is in some way partly connected to the demise of Nicholls top chasers as someone else has said and also Mullins poor record with chasers at the Festival too a contributing factor too.

However I don't think it reflects upon Ruby Walsh's riding ability which is how fans of him might interpret people putting emphasis on the stat. If Un De Sceaux, Vautour or Champagne Fever are up to the job, then there's no doubt the man on their back will be too.

Of course PFN has not had a chase win since then either. Says all one needs to know about statistics in the wrong hands.

You know we are close when this topic gets a reprise

So are we all laying Un des Sceaux?

I aint.

Interesting that the top 3 trainers at the meeting have poor recent records with chasers. Henderson has a better Festival record but this season he is having a terrible run with just 5 low grade novice chase wins in 6 months. Compare Jim Cullotty who gets hardly any hurdlers but was 2 from 2 over fences last year including the Gold Cup. Nicholls does have horses well forward in the betting for the GC, Champion Chase, Arkle and Ptit Zig in the other novice chase.

Nicholls well overdue Chase winner,but at least he having winners,more than Culloty hasnt had any winner for almost 1 year.

Culloty was in similar shape going into last years festival.

Hadn't realized Culloty had such a record. Only 1 winner since Spring Heeled / Lord Windermere won at last year's Festival, on 20Mar2015. You'd think he might have got a decent horse or two after last year.

culloty's yard - the horses have been sick - just coming out of it apparently.