From Jockey to Trainer: Ted Walsh's Iconic Career Ted Walsh is one of the most recognisable figures in Irish racing, renowned as a jockey, trainer & broadcaster, as well as being the father of one of the greatest jockeys of all time — Ruby Walsh. About Ted Walsh was born in Fermoy, Co Cork in April 1950 but later came to make his marital home in Kill in Co Kildare with Helen. His children include Ruby, winner of more races at the Cheltenham Festival than anyone else as a jockey, and Katie, a pioneering force for women in racing with three Cheltenham Festival winners and an Irish Grand National on her CV. His son, Ted Walsh Jnr, is married to another famous ex-jockey, Nina Carberry and he has a second daughter, Jennifer. Career as a jockey In his time as a rider, Ted Walsh was Irish champion amateur jump jockey 11 times and he won four Cheltenham Festival races. He won the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup twice and the St James's Place Foxhunter Chase, and most famously of all, defeated the professionals when landing the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Hilly Way in 1979. He also landed the Aintree Hurdle twice on Daring Run in the early 1980s. Career as a trainer Walsh soon moved into the training of racehorses, with his success in that field no doubt a massive contributing factor in helping develop the careers of his children. The most famous afternoon in Walsh's training career came in the spring of 2000 as Papillon won the Grand National at Aintree with Ruby on board. Incredibly, the Walsh's pulled off the feat just a year after Tommy and Paul Carberry had become the first to achieve it with Bobbyjo. The only pair to do it since are Willie and Patrick Mullins with Nick Rockett in 2025. Ted's first winner at the Cheltenham Festival as a trainer came when Commanche Court landed the Triumph Hurdle under Norman Williamson in 1997. He had to wait more than two decades for his second as Any Second Now won the Kim Muir in 2019 — completing the double in that race as a jockey/trainer. Commanche Court, ridden by Ruby, also finished second behind Best Mate in the 2002 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Any Second Now, an outstanding servant in the green and gold silks of owner JP McManus, was third in the Aintree National behind Minella Times in 2021 and second to Noble Yeats a year later, while he also gained a silver medal in the Irish National at Fairyhouse in 2025 as Haiti Couleurs landed the spoils. Did you know? Ted was also one of the most popular racing pundits on Irish television for four decades. He was forthright in his opinions, both good and bad, and certainly was never afraid to speak his mind or stick up for the sport he loves, often interjecting good humour with his razor-sharp wit and throwaway one-liners. His on-screen partnership with Robert Hall on RTÉ Racing was legendary and, today, both Ruby and Katie are key parts of the broadcasting team on major meetings on free-to-air with Ireland's national broadcaster. He was also a regular face on Channel 4's Morning Line during the Cheltenham Festival alongside the likes of John McCririck and John Francome in the early 2000s. He hung up his microphone in 2023 at Punchestown, saying: "I loved it and I had a great response. I got myself into a bit of hot water here and there but that happens on live television. "I've enjoyed it, it's a great sport, a great game, it's been good to all of ye, it's been very good to me and everyone connected with it."
