Winner No 26 for Ruby the record breaker

ST PATRICK’S DAY couldn’t have kicked off better for Ruby Walsh. It also ended as we expected, but for three hours there in the middle, it looked like it was all going to be one, big damp squib.

When the 30-year-old partnered Quevega to victory in Tuesday’s Mares Hurdle he equalled legendary Arkle jockey Pat Taaffe’s record of 25 festival wins – and the wait began for a record-breaking 26th.

When his sister Katie took the honours in the opening National Hunt Challenge Cup, it was the perfect opening act for a story that would write itself from there on in.