Trainer Ciaron Maher is still pinching himself after a throwaway line from an Irish vet has led to the Emerald Isle's greatest jumps jockey, Ruby Walsh, linking with champion jumper Bashboy in Australia.
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Bashboy will attempt to win a third consecutive Australian Grand National at Ballarat on Sunday, to add to his four Crisp Steeple wins, with Walsh in the saddle. It is unlikely the 36-year-old Kildare native would have heard of Bashboy before this week.
The chance for the Irish champion to come to Australia only came when the champion jumper's regular partner, Steve Pateman, failed to beat a careless riding suspension on appeal on Wednesday.
"We were sitting in the office, thinking Steve would get off, but I just said who do we get if he doesn't," Maher said. "John Russell, an Irish vet, was there and said you get Ruby if you want the best. It went from there.
"[Melbourne Racing Club chairman] Mike Symons has a horse with Willie Mullins, who Ruby rides for, and got in contact with him and then I spoke to [Walsh's] manager, his sister Jennifer and he was keen. To tell you the truth I haven't even spoken to Ruby yet. I think I'll see after the [Flemington] races on Saturday night."
It will bring together two champions from different sides of the world. Bashboy has dominated Australian jumps racing for the past three years and Maher has been keen to take him over to Europe.
His record is comparable to the great Crisp, which after a grand career in Australia went to England and was run down by Red Rum in the famous 1973 Grand National at Aintree. Both champions have made habits of winning by big spaces under crushing weights.
In fact, if Bashboy, which has 13 jumps successes, wins by his average margin of seven lengths on Sunday it will take his combined winning margin to 100 lengths.
Walsh is a legend in homeland. He has more than 112,000 Twitter followers and has regularly taken his winning ways to England. He has the most total wins at the Cheltenham festival of 45 and has been the champion rider there on nine occasions and Ireland's champion jumps jockey 10 times.
He is no stranger to winning the Grand National, twice victorious at Aintree. He won there on his first attempt on Papillon in 2000 before winning it again on Hedgehunter in 2005. Bashboy, which is a $4.60 chance on Sunday with Sea King the $3.40 favourite for the Grand National, will give Walsh the chance to add the Australian version to the Irish, Welsh and Scottish National he has also won.
"It's tremendous that this opportunity has come out, I wish that scheduling would allow for more opportunities to ride at major meetings around the world," Walsh said.
"I have spent plenty of time looking at Bashboy's form, he looks to be an incredible horse and a great ride in the race. He appears to stay so well, clearly can handle heavy conditions, and looks to be a brilliant jumper. I really don't think that there is a great deal of difference in form anywhere in the world, a good horse is a good horse."
Walsh has been associated with plenty of champion jumpers, with Hurricane Fly, Kauto Star and Big Buck's.
The retirement of AP McCoy has left Walsh as the only jockey still riding to have the four Nationals in the United Kingdom and Ireland and Maher is keen pick his brains about Bashboy.
"It will be interesting to see what he has to say about him. Hopefully he can win it again and then if [Walsh] was to say he would be up to them over there I would love to take him over," Maher said.
"The prizemoney is so good for him here but I have been at the owners for a couple of years that he might be the right horse to go there with."
Walsh will also join Robert Smerdon-trained Arch Fire in the JJ Houlahan Hurdle on Sunday.
Maher said he was surprised to be able to get Walsh to Australia on such short notice but not as surprised as his vet. "John came back in the other day and said 'I thought you were joking about Ruby'. I just said 'obviously not'."
