Ruby Walsh: When there is a will, there is a way...

Ryan Moore — the big winner under government’s new quarantine rules.Picture: Healy Racing.

Ryan Moore’s brief quarantine in Tipperary came to a quick and early close on Thursday morning when the news broke that submissions made to government by HRI had been accepted and that jockeys who were booked to ride in either Group or Grade 1 races would be exempt from the 14-day quarantine rules that are currently in place.

That’s a pretty simple explanation of it, but the reality is that Irish Jockeys wishing to travel abroad and foreign Jockeys wishing to come in will be allowed to do so provided they are booked to ride in Group 1 races on the flat or their equivalent Grade 1 races over jumps.

It is similar to the rules that have allowed the Irish soccer team travel to Bulgaria during the week and return here to play tomorrow and which allow the Finnish football team to come in and play.

Before you say it, I know both are on the green list, but not many of the Irish team came into Ireland last week from a country on the green list and it’s not why can they do but we can’t either.

Each and every sector in life is going to have to find ways of carrying on with these restrictions in place and exceptions are going to crop up in rare cases but, in racing, it’s only for jockeys. 

Owners, trainers or even stable staff can’t apply for the exemption and the hoops which Colin Keane has to jump through before he goes to Paris on Sunday to ride Siskin are pretty extensive.

This is a case-by-case exemption too, and not a simple rule so each applicant has to satisfy the IHRB before they be will granted permission to travel or come into to Ireland and ride.

Colin is first up, and he must have a negative covid-19 per antigen test prior to departure, and his daily health will be monitored from yesterday until 14 days after he returns.

The same tests will be carried out upon return, one within in three days and the other no later than seven days after that. 

His time away is to be limited to as short a time as is possible i.e. he will be making a day return trip tomorrow. And then he will have to travel alone to work or the races for the next 14 days.

He will have an isolated changing facility on track for that time too and can only work in one yard for the period.

All the basic sanitizing and mask-wearing is included but effectively when you read the pages of guidelines issued for incoming and outgoing riders, sole traders, which jockeys are, have to create and enforce their own bubble.

When there is a will, there is a way but for next weekend this a massive step forward. 

It is great news for our jockeys to be able to go abroad and the fact William Buick can come in means Ghaiyyath will come to Leopardstown - and the Irish Champion Stakes needs him.

It is a pity the Irish racing public won’t get a chance to see him live, but hard on luck on ye, I will as I am working for RTÉ and I can’t wait.

So, Ryan Moore left Tipperary yesterday morning and tomorrow he will partner Lope Y Fernandez in the Haydock Sprint Cup. 

He is, of course, the horse who shot to the front at the furlong pole in the Irish 2000 Guineas back in June. 

He was tried over six furlongs at Royal Ascot, where he missed the break, and since had two runs in France, which both ended in defeat, but it’s easy to argue that, nonetheless, his season is progressing in the right direction.

I think he can bring a boring week to a happy ending for his rider.

The action on home soil is very run-of-the-mill stuff at both Navan and Wexford but in the 3.30 at Navan Denis Hogan runs the impressive Bellewstown winner Lady Princess and she readily accounted for two smart fillies last time out so could easily be a Group-class filly in waiting.

Next weekend is Ireland’s turn in the spotlight but this weekend internationally, at one minute past midnight, the Run For The Roses will commence. 

A Kentucky Derby in September in as strange as it gets in horse racing, with three-year-olds much closer to four-year-olds than they are in May. Thus, a different type of individual could be required but form is still form and the Belmont Stakes and Traverse Stakes winner Tiz The Law could rule from his wide stall of 17 on the Churchill downs dirt track.

Undoubtedly the main event in Europe is in Paris where three Irish horses tackle one English and two French rivals. 

I didn’t think when he won the French 2000 Guineas that Victor Ludorum would ever start the 10/1 outsider of six horses this season, but he does, such is the strength of Longchamp’s Prix du Moulin on Sunday at 3.25.

Pinatubo steps back up to a mile after his 7 furlong success in the Prix Jean Prat; Circus Maximus and Siskin renew rivalry having both found Mohaather to good in the Sussex stakes; Persian King and Romanised look to have a little to find having trailed in nearly nine and 11 lengths behind Palace Pier in the Jacques le Marois.

I think Goodwood’s undulations caught Siskin out a little in August and with that race experience under his belt, I think he can get back to winnings way and start a great week for Irish Flat racing.