His rides may be sparse at the moment, but amongst the carefully chosen mounts is ample opportunity for Ruby Walsh to shine in a manner which few, if any, could dream to achieve. 

Yesterday morning the racing world woke to the sad news that John Thomas McNamara had passed away. The 41-year-old former leading amateur, who suffered a horrific fall from Galaxy Rock in the Kim Muir Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival of 2013, lost the one battle he could never win.

AP McCoy calls time on the most successful career in the history of jump racing today and I would have made sure I was in Sandown for it to join in on the celebrations, whether I had a ride or not, writes Ruby Walsh

Davy Condon insists he feels “very lucky” despite being forced to retire from the saddle due to a spinal injury.

It was quite literally a life-changing moment.

Point-To-Point

John Thomas McNamara, who was paralysed in a fall at last year’s Cheltenham Festival, was in the intensive care unit of Limerick Regional Hospital last night, having been taken ill the previous day.

Robbie McNamara, first cousin of John Thomas McNamara, so tragically paralysed in a fall at the meeting a year ago, rode his first Festival winner when taking the Weatherbys’ Champion Bumper on the Dermot Weld-trained Silver Concorde.

Enda Bolger’s Gilgamboa defied his inexperience to win the fiercely-competitive Boylesports.com Hurdle at Leopardstown.

Johns Spirit provided Richie McLernon with the biggest success of his career by gamely clinging on to win the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

The progressive Willie Mullins-trained Arvika Ligeonniere was far too good for his five rivals in the Grade 2 Clonmel Oil Chase at Clonmel yesterday.

Tony McCoy produced the kind of swashbuckling ride for which he has become so famed as he secured his 4,000th winner over jumps at Towcester yesterday.

There was an extraordinary reaction from the public to yesterday’s meeting at Limerick, held to boost the Emergency Jockeys’ Fund and the stricken John Thomas McNamara and Jonjo Bright.

He was there for JT’s big day with Caroline all those years ago, so there was no way he was missing JT’s big day with Jonjo yesterday.

Over €550,000 has been raised for two injured Irish jockeys both left paralysed after falls within weeks of each other.

The racing community and the wider public have donated 70 items for the special fundraising auction for JT McNamara and Jonjo Bright at today’s Limerick Charity Raceday in aid of the Jockeys Emergency Fund.

This is my first column of the winter campaign and I have to start by talking about Limerick on Monday and an afternoon that is going to be dedicated to John Thomas McNamara and Jonjo Bright.

Dr Adrian McGoldrick, senior medical officer of the Turf Club, issued a statement yesterday on behalf of John Thomas McNamara and his family.

Jockey Martin Ferris fits neatly into the journeyman category but today he gets a first opportunity to fulfil a childhood dream of riding in the Grand National - and make his late father proud.

I am in no way downbeat when it comes to John Thomas McNamara’s future.

“My first thoughts are with John Thomas McNamara”, said Michael Winters, after his Missunited got the best of a terrific battle with Twigline in the Grade 3 Kerry Group EBF Mares’ Novice Hurdle at Limerick yesterday.

Racing was the real winner, as Bobs Worth’s limitless stamina kicked in to land a decisive success in what was a fantastic Betfred Gold Cup at Cheltenham yesterday.

It really was the proverbial white-knuckle ride. Monday, at around 4.45pm, we landed at Birmingham Airport to be greeted by snow cascading from a grim sky. More of the white stuff accompanied us as we made our way up to Cheltenham.

The crowds had already began to spill out into the approaching gloom of the surrounding countryside by the time Thomas Mullins’s Alderwood made it a record 14th Irish-trained winner at this week’s Cheltenham Festival.

Bobs Worth provided Nicky Henderson with a second Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup in three years under Barry Geraghty.

Bobs Worth, trained by Nicky Henderson and ridden by Barry Geraghty, won the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Yesterday was a nearly day, as Jetson and Bostons Angel both ran their hearts out to be third and fourth.

The Tom Taaffe-trained Argocat captured the Grade 2 Greenmount Park Novice Chase, feature of the St. Stephen’s Day action in Limerick yesterday.

The Gordon Elliott-trained Roi Du Mee, enterprisingly ridden by Paul Carberry, completed back-to-back wins in the Star ‘Best For Racing Coverage’ Chase, one of four Grade 3 events on yesterday’s card in Punchestown.

The most interesting horse on view at Cork this afternoon has to be Willie Mullins’ Pique Sous, who makes his debut over jumps in the Family Day Out Maiden Hurdle.

Oliver McKiernan continued his terrific run when saddling Any Bets to land the featured Kevin Broderick Memorial Handicap Chase at Listowel yesterday.

Off the track since finishing unplaced in the Munster National last October, Casey Top captured the featured McSweeney Arms Hotel Handicap Chase in Killarney yesterday.

Absent for two years since winning a novice hurdle at the 2012 Punchestown Festival, Arvika Ligeonniere made a hugely impressive return to action and chasing debut in the Punchestown For Events Beginners Chase at Punchestown yesterday.

The opening four-mile National Hunt Chase was a disappointing race for the Irish, at least for most, the exception being veteran rider John Thomas McNamara.

ONCE-RACED Hi Big Man is a hopeful nap choice in the Kepak Bumper at Roscommon this evening.

THE Dermot Weld-trained Anaverna earned a valuable bracket when making virtually all to land the Irish Stallion Farms Fillies Maiden at Wexford last night.

QUEVEGA emerged as a realistic Stayers’ Hurdle challenger to the champion, Big Buck’s, when totally outclassing the opposition in yesterday’s Ladbrokes.com World Series Hurdle at Punchestown.

THE Grade 1 Paddy Power Champion Bumper produced a particularly smart winner in Dermot Weld’s four-year-old, Hidden Universe, writes Pat Keane

CAIM HILL, off the track since September, and On The Way Out, ninth in the Pierse Hurdle at Leopardstown, dead-heated at the end of a thriller for the Listed Surehaul Mercedes Novice Hurdle at Clonmel yesterday.

NEW APPROACH will begin his stud career with the title of Horse Racing Ireland’s Horse of the Year for 2008.