One of the big favourites on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival was involved in a dramatic exit when jinking around the last hurdle, crashed into the wing and gave his rider Mark Walsh a nasty fall.
Walsh was riding the JP McManus-owned Corbetts Cross and had steered the 9-4 favourite into a position to challenge eventual winner Stay Away Fay approaching the final flight of the £135,000 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.
But when they reached the hurdle Corbetts Cross ducked right, where there is a gap between the wing and the standside rail, and smashed through the plastic wing, galloping riderless through the winning line.
Only 24 hours earlier Walsh was celebrating after steering 33-1 chance Sire Bu Berlais to victory in the feature Stayers’ Hurdle, having won a race against time to be fit for the Festival after breaking his neck in a fall in February.
Walsh took his time to get up and walked away holding his wrist and arm as he went for treatment. His place on former Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Minella Indo was handed to Nico de Boinville.
During his analysis of the incident ITV pundit Ruby Walsh [no relation] pinned the blame on his namesake for the exit of Corbetts Cross.
“Corbetts Cross did run out at the last but unfortunately for Mark Walsh it’s an island hurdle and Mark has his whip in his left hand,” said Walsh.
“He’s come for the stands rail but there is a gap there and when you’re riding he should have had his whip in his right hand and come in a fraction because you are giving the opportunity. You don’t like a horse that does that but as a rider you have to remove that opportunity and unfortunately he didn’t.”
