Katie Walsh, a trail-blazing female jockey in jump racing, stunned the festival crowd here by announcing her retirement immediately after riding a winner last night. The 34-year-old ended with a moment to treasure, driving Antey past Barry Geraghty on a more fancied rival to steal the race by a nose.
Without telling anyone beyond her immediate family, Walsh had been planning for about a fortnight to retire when she next rode a winner, wherever it happened to be. That it should happen at this prestigious week which closes the Irish season was pure luck, as she was picked for the ride on Antey about five minutes before climbing on his back.
Noel Fehily was originally booked but he was injured during the day and was soon joined in hospital by Danny Mullins, the first choice to replace him. Willie Mullins, trainer of Antey, then asked for Rachael Blackmore, only to be told she had gone to hospital too, to keep another injured rider company. Such are the perils of jump racing, which Walsh will now be spared.
A desperate Mullins was scanning the weighing room for a rider who was still in one piece when she crossed his path and was beckoned over. It turned out to be the final booking of her career.
“It’s just the right time for me,” said Walsh, adding that “next on the list” is having children. “Marvellous career, nothing but unbelievable memories. I’d like to go out while this is all going. I’d be the first person, sitting at home, saying: ‘Jaysus, when is she going to hang up her boots?’ I wanted to go out on my own terms.”
Along with her sister-in-law, Nina Carberry, Walsh proved that a woman can have a long and successful career as a jump jockey, her highlights beginning with a double at the Cheltenham Festival in 2010. She won an Irish Grand National, had winners in France and Australia and took part in six Grand Nationals, completing the course five times.
Perhaps most significantly of all, Seabass was sent off as the National favourite on both occasions she rode him in the Aintree race. While they came up short, finishing third in 2012, for Britain’s punters to trust a female jockey with their money in the most demanding race of all represents a major change in attitude from the position before her career began.
Walsh’s announcement was just the latest moment of drama in a week of shocks here, which included the earlier fall of the hotly fancied Samcro in the Champion Hurdle. He came down at the third-last, taking with him the last hopes of a first championship for his trainer, Gordon Elliott.
“It’s a great game to level you,” said a rueful Elliott, who started the week with a lead of more than €400,000 over Mullins. “But we keep smiling and keep going.” The previously unbeaten Samcro was reported unhurt and no decision is likely to be taken for some time about whether he continues as a hurdler next season or goes over fences.
The race was won by Supasundae, retrieving something from the week for his jockey, Robbie Power, and his owners, the Potts family, who were robbed of possible glory on Tuesday when Finian’s Oscar was carried out at the final fence by an errant rival. “I’ve been knocking on the door all week,” Power said. “I was always told, if you keep knocking on it, it eventually opens and thank God it did.”
Mullins, champion trainer for the 11th time in a row, said: “I’m gutted for Gordon. I know what it’s like and he’s got a fantastic team of people around him and they’ve worked very hard for it. I like winning it but I certainly don’t take any pleasure out of beating a very good competitor. We’re all in the one game, it’s a small country over here and it would have been great if it could have been a draw because his team works hard and he works hard.”