Ruby Walsh purrs over 'motorbike' Supreme favourite El Cairos

January 16, 2026

Ruby Walsh couldn’t get enough of Supreme Novices’ Hurdle favourite El Cairos when analysing his run at Christmas.

Gordon Elliott’s exciting prospect shot to the head of the market for the Cheltenham Festival’s curtain raiser with an incredibly impressive performance on reappearance – one that he didn’t even win.

Under a confident ride from Jack Kennedy at Leopardstown on St. Stephen’s Day, El Cairos made a serious impression with a wicked turn of foot to hit the front approaching the final hurdle.

In the most unlucky fashion, the son of No Risk It All stumbled and fell on landing when he looked booked to come home alone but that didn’t stop bookmakers from subsequently rating him as the chief Supreme threat – cut from 25/1 to 9/2.

His route to Cheltenham was soon mapped out with Elliott planning one more run in a maiden hurdle, but he also has an entry in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.

Jockey turned pundit Walsh knows a thing or two about winning the two-mile showpiece, triumphant on six occasions across his career and the most successful rider in the race’s modern history.

Speaking on RacingTV’s Road To Cheltenham show, he was very much taken aback by the electric display.

“El Cairos jumped reasonably well. He showed an electric turn of foot off the bend when Jack switches him out and he does look like a flat horse as he starts to quicken.

“He really lengthens, rubbers down to the last and then it’s like watching a motorbike falling over from a speed wobble isn’t it?

“He’s just going too fast and it’s speed that catches him, he was very unlucky. He was going to be impressive.”

👀 Incredible! El Cairos stumbles at the last & hands victory to Murat!

Both Jack Kennedy & El Cairos seem to be OK pic.twitter.com/7GS8yqpRWn

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 26, 2025

There was no accident about the imposing performance, backed in from 5/4 all the way down to 8/15 before the off and it’s clear he’s held in very high regard.

El Cairos was one of the top bumper horses last year, finishing fifth in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and runner-up in a strong race at Punchestown where he was again a head-scratching loser.

Previously sporting the colours of former amateur jockey and owner David Maxwell, who decided to sell his string after retiring from race riding, the six-year-old fetched £410,000 at the Tattersalls Cheltenham Sale in October.

Purchased by KTDA Racing, the outfit behind elite novice chaser Romeo Coolio, Maxwell later revealed he turned down a private offer of £600,000 for the youngster – rumoured to be from one JP McManus.

El Cairos was a point-to-point winner for Jim O’Neill and soon caught the eye of Maxwell who sent him to Gary and Josh Moore, winning a bumper on stable debut at Newbury in November 2024.

He looked a champion all over at Punchestown when again taking up the running going easily a furlong from home before hanging badly left and sacrificing first place to Alan King’s Baron Noir.

A somewhat quirky type, El Cairos will be a sight to behold when putting it all together.