Nicholls and Walsh part company

"rats and ships"

walsh aint getting any younger, and there is some difference in riding potential graded horses for willie mullins in Ireland on most weekends than riding pumpkin heads yaks in the uk every Friday and Saturday, best of luck to Jacobs in the new role as he will need it as he is an average rider at best, no r walsh, nor never will be

UBY WALSH has stepped down from his role as stable jockey to Paul Nicholls to concentrate on riding in Ireland bringing to an end one of the most successful partnerships in jumps racing.

Walsh, 34, informed Nicholls over the weekend that the continued journeys from his home in Calverstown, County Kildare to Britain were becoming exhausting and that he wished to remain in Ireland with his wife Gillian and two daughters.

While Walsh will still ride for Nicholls when available, he has been replaced as main rider at Ditcheat by Daryl Jacob.

Speaking to bookmaker Paddy Power, Walsh said: "This wasn't an easy decision. I spoke to Paul after Punchestown in April and told him I had a decision to make.

"I started as Paul's stable jockey in October 2002, but when I chose then to live in Ireland, this was always going to be a job that involved an awful lot of travelling.

"My point was there was never an issue to go to ride on a Saturday but you can't be somebody's first jockey and not go ride all lesser races. You're either in or you're out.

"I just didn't feel like heading to Taunton, Chepstow, Exeter, and all those places quite as much. Paul knows that if I'm not committed 100 per cent to the project, it's no good to either of us."

Since joining forces in 2002, Walsh and seven-time champion trainer Nicholls became synonmous with victory at the highest level and will forever be associated with some of the stars of jumping.

"rats and ships" A LITTLE BIT HEAVY,  OUFIES

Wonder will he ride Big Bucks next March?

Paddy Power make Ruby Walsh 4-1 to ride a winner for Paul Nicholls at the 2014 Cheltenham Festival while his replacement at Ditcheat, Daryl Jacob, is 33-1 to be champion jockey in Britain this season.

MAYBE  the above will help to answer your question C.O'M

Wonder what Paul Townend makes of this. He's looking at riding 2nd string at every meet now. Must be hard to take for a guy who was champion jock a couple of years back..

Time is on his side ...Ruby might be injured /suspended from time to time .
Even the crumbs from this table are pretty nourishing.

If a peak form Kauto,Denman,Big bucks were still there.... we would not be having this conversation

no more patting each other on the back, less people vomiting.

Yes time on his side. He does quite well. Champion jockey at was it 20. Still wins plenty of money has won about 5.5M euro in win prize-money alone.

Disingenuous statement in the in the extreme by Rupert Walsh to suggest  "that the continued journeys from his home in Calverstown, County Kildare to Britain were becoming exhausting and that he wished to remain in Ireland with his wife Gillian and two daughters".

What he really means is; You have no top class horses Mr. Nicholls. Willie is cleaning up in Ireland and and he has a stable full of potential stars and when I do the maths I will make more money based in Ireland. Furthermore I reckon I have a good chance of getting on those Gigginstown horses because I am much better than Davy.

This decision was surely an easy one from Ruby Walsh's point of view. The traveling must be very trying,he is in the twilight of his career and has a young family. Nicholls in rebuiding mode and has p issed of a lot of wealthy owners so may never get back to the top. Wiilie Mullins has the ammunition. Makes sense. Wonder how Paul Townend feels though.

Paul Townend has done very well on WP's second strings this year, including big wins in grade 1 contests at Punchestown and Auteuil.

Paul Townend has done very well on WP's second strings this year, including big wins in grade 1 contests at Punchestown and Auteuil.

if ruby was really clever, he would pack it in alltogether........he has done it all and is loaded with dosh..........the only thing left to happen is a serious injury which impares his quality of life.........i hope it doesnt happen.

My thoughts exactly.  I wouldnt be fond of him as a person though.

loaded with dosh?!?..some mite tend not to agree with you there

Are you referring to the farm he bought at the height of the bubble Kavvie??

Still no fear of him,generally has very short arms.