Ruby Walsh: Good Thyne Tara could be too hot for Arctic Fire at Cork

Ruby has a look at Willie Mullins' Cork runners, as well as the recent success of Rachael Balckmore and his own return to the saddle....

We’ve Koroleva in the bummper in Cork this evening. She’s had a few chances for us recently, and she’s getting another one here. Our group are in particularly good order at the minute in my view, and though she’s no star she’s fit and well and she’ll do herself justice here.

For the conditions hurdle, Denis Cullen has Arctic Fire now. He’s a very good horse but hasn’t run in a long time where Good Thyne Tara does have race experience on her side and I think she’s in particularly good order now. She’ll give Arctic Fire a real run for it here.

Rachael Blackmore has Lieutenant Colonel in that one too. She’s had a flier of a start to the season and is blazing a trail in the jockeys title race at the minute, where she’s on 20 winners.

DUBLIN, IRELAND – FEBRUARY 12: Rachael Blackmore riding Who’s That on their way to winning The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Handicap Hurdle at Leopardstown racecourse on February 12, 2017 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images) **** Local Caption *** Rachael Blackmore;Who’s That

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The way things are going I could see it evolve that in ten years time there’ll be no such thing as a ladies race, because they won’t be needed.

There are some great female jockeys out there now. As well as Rachael there’s Lisa O’Neill, Katie Farrell and Jody Townend has ridden a few winners of late. She’s a young girl only getting going and is really valued for her claim. These are showing that, given an opportunity, they’re more than capable of taking it.

Katie Walsh and Nina Carberry opened a lot of doors for a lot more girls, and the ones that are coming in behind them are taking these opportunties and can hopefully take it to another level.

It’ll be Galway before I’m back to try and catch up in the jockeys championship, so I’m missing May, June, July, three months of the season, but I don’t think anyone’s posted enough winners at this stage of the season to say they can’t be pulled back. It’ll make it very interesting though. The picture will be a hell of a lot clearer come Chrstmas time, and there’s still four months of the season still to go by then.

CHELTENHAM, ENGLAND – MARCH 16: during St Patrick’s Thursday on day three of the festival meeting at Cheltenham racecourse on March 16, 2017 in Cheltenham, England. (Photo by Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images)

Championship talk is going to be waiting in the background til about then.

From my point of view, starting in a fortnight’s time, it doesn’t look like I’ll be more than 24 or 25 behind anybody, so that’ll give me a small chance.

Every year it’s a target for me, and for every jockey, to win the jockey title. If it happens, it’s great, if it doesn’t, so be it, but of course you have it in the back of your mind. Now, I’ve always been of the opinion that if you gave me eight or ten Grade 1 winners I’d be taking that first.

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