With not much change out of six-foot, Mark Walsh stands out from his colleagues anyway.
But in a week when practically any rider able to swing a leg over a horse is signed up by gambling chains for blog or ambassadorial duties, JP McManus’s jockey maintains a notably low profile.
The consensus within racing is that such discretion is just him, while also acknowledging it’s a perfect fit for the man employing him too. As ‘legendary gambler’ is a phrase synonymous with McManus, the idea of his jockey producing copy for the enemy smacks of having and eating cake.
So, the 37-year-old rider presents an enigmatic figure publicly. Never less than polite but viewing microphones with a wariness that chimes with his boss’s famous observation as to how many fish would still be alive if they’d only learned to keep their mouths shut.
Since that boss gave a million euro to each of Ireland’s 32 counties just before Christmas and has long since been counting his wealth in billions, presumably Walsh isn’t losing out financially on not blowing smoke to some bookie.
But in advance of day two of the Cheltenham Festival, any kind of smoke signal from the McManus camp is probably worth quite a bit by most everyone else’s standards. That’s because the team carrying the famed green and gold colours looks notably powerful.
Admittedly, Gentleman De Mee strikes as a hit and hope to finally break McManus’s duck in the Champion Chase. Jonbon is a more realistic shot. But Sa Majeste has been a buzz horse ahead of the Coral Cup for weeks while Saint Roi looks a natural fit for the Grand Annual test.
All of them pale in comparison to Fact To File, the horse that already has Willie Mullins dreaming of next year’s Gold Cup and an outstanding favourite for the Brown Advisory.
Since so much betting action now is online, it’s cliched stuff to talk about the ring quaking at the thought of McManus flexing his betting muscles with a vengeance.
Still, he and his camp might well go to war, and given the importance of Cheltenham Festival success, it all adds up to a pressurised prospect for the man entrusted with delivering in those five or six minutes of competition out on the track.
The reassuring part for those punting six-figures or six quid is there’s two decades of evidence that the man in the hot-seat doesn’t do stress. It’s a common thread among those who’ve closely watched his progress to the top of the McManus pile.
“Old school,” is how Conor O’Dwyer describes the man who discreetly assumed McManus’s No 1 spot in Ireland even as Barry Geraghty ostensibly remained in situ before retiring in 2020.
“He’s a very quiet, level-headed fellah, always has been. If he was taken off a horse, he took it on the chin and bided his time. To me, if any kid these days wanted to mould themselves on anyone, Mark Walsh is absolutely one of the best. He’s old school, with a bombproof temperament,” O’Dwyer says.
“He’s done things, broken his leg in Cheltenham, and just came back; didn’t moan, waited, and the job he’s in suits him down to the ground. He’s made for it.
“No matter what race or reward he gets, he doesn’t go by the line jumping and shouting and beating the stick off the air. Inside I’m sure he’s happy – but he’s old school!” he adds.
How highly Walsh is rated has been underlined by his services being snapped up by other big beasts when he’s available. Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown Stud put him on Delta Work in the 2020 Gold Cup.
“If he doesn’t have a ride and we’re given a choice, we certainly rate him highly,” Gigginstown’s Eddie O’Leary says. As for any aversion to publicity, O’Leary adds: “That suits the job more than likely! But he’s a quietly spoken fellah who does a very good job and is a very good rider.”
Enda Bolger has worked with most of Ireland’s top riders in the last three decades and hasn’t been surprised by how seamlessly Walsh fits into the McManus operation, one that requires no little diplomacy considering how extensive the job is.
“It probably does, but you also know you’ll be riding bloody good horses. It’s working with the people, and what they expect from you; they don’t want anyone going around blowing their trumpet about horses. Mark is very refined that way,” Bolger says.
“He’s the go-to man now. He has slotted in perfectly, nothing fazes him. The big day definitely doesn’t faze him. A very good rider either over hurdles or fences, no preference. A solid jockey is how I’d describe him, sound and solid,” he adds.
It’s not the sort of profile to attract attention. But that’s just fine for Walsh and his boss.
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