Champion Irish jumps jockey Ruby Walsh will ride Bashboy in the Grand National Steeplechase at Ballarat in Victoria.
It will be the first time Walsh, who has won 10 Irish jumps jockey premierships and ridden a record 45 winners at the famous Cheltenham festival during his career, will have ridden in Australia.
Bashboy
“I think it’s great for Australian racing, for Australian jumps racing, to have Ruby riding in one of our premier races,” Bashboy’s trainer Ciaron Maher said.
“It’s just great to have him compete here and I’m sure it will create a lot of interest overseas as well.”
The ride on two-time Grand National winner Bashboy in Sunday’s race became available after top Australian jumps jockey Steven Pateman’s hopes of continuing his hugely successful association with the 12-year-old gelding were shattered on Wednesday.
Pateman had his appeal against a careless riding suspension from last weekend dismissed, which ruled him out of the ride in Sunday’s $250,000 feature.
Bashboy is striving to become the first horse to win the Grand National Steeplechase three times.
