Rupert "Ruby" Walsh is an Irish former jockey. He is the second child, and eldest son, of former champion amateur jockey Ted Walsh and his wife Helen. Widely regarded as one of the greatest National Hunt jockeys of all time, Walsh is the third most prolific winner in British and Irish jump racing history behind only Sir Anthony McCoy and Richard Johnson.
The KPMG Champion Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles ½ furlong, and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May.
The Hatton's Grace Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs, and during its running there are twelve hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late November or early December.
The Navan Novice Hurdle is a Grade Two National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland. It is run in mid-December at Navan in Ireland, over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs.
The Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt race in Ireland. It is run at Leopardstown Racecourse at the end of December during the Christmas Festival, over a distance of about 2 miles and during its running there are 8 hurdles to be jumped.
The Drinmore Novice Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt chase in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs, and during its running there are sixteen fences to be jumped. The race is for novice chasers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late November or early December.
The Royal Bond Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of about 2 miles, and during its running there are ten hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late November or early December.
The Monksfield Novice Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt novice hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Navan over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in November.
The Slaney Novice Hurdle, currently known for sponsorship purposes as the Lawlor's of Naas Novice Hurdle, is a Grade One National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland. It is run in January at Naas Racecourse, over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs and during its running there are 11 flights of hurdles to be jumped. The race is often contested by horses who go on to compete at the Cheltenham Festival, such as the 1978 winner, Golden Cygnet, who went on to win the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and 2021 winner, Bob Olinger, who went on to win the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle.
The Golden Cygnet Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt novice hurdle race in Ireland which is for horses aged five years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 2 miles and 6 furlongs. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late January or early February.
The Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to mares aged four years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse Racecourse over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs, and during its running there are ten hurdle to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late March or early April at Fairyhouse's Easter meeting.
The Joe Mac Novice Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt novice hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Tipperary over a distance of about 2 miles, and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.
The Like A Butterfly Novice Chase is a Grade 3 National Hunt novice chase in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Tipperary over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.
The Grimes Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt novice hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Tipperary over a distance of 2 miles, and it is scheduled to take place each year in July.
The Cork E.B.F. Novice Hurdle is a Listed National Hunt novice hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Cork over a distance of 3 miles, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late October or early November. The race has been sponsored since 2014 by Paddy Power.
The Cork Stayers Novice Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt novice hurdle in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. The race is run at Cork over a distance of about 3 miles and during its running there are 13 hurdles to be jumped. It is scheduled to take place each year in December. It is currently sponsored by the Kerry Group.
The For Auction Novice Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt novice hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Navan over a distance of about 2 miles. The race is scheduled to take place each year in November.
The Bar One Racing Juvenile Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt novice hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged three years old. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of about 2 miles, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late November or early December.
The Leopardstown E.B.F. Mares Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to mares aged four years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of 2 miles and four furlongs and during its running there are 10 flights of hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Christmas Festival at the end of December.
The Fairyhouse Easter Festival Novice Hurdle, currently run as the Colm Quinn BMW Novice Hurdle, is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in April. The race is usually run at the course's Easter Festival but in 2017 it was moved to a fixture in early April to avoid clashing with similar races at the Punchestown Festival.
