Ruby Walsh can't opppose Cheltenham hotpot Final Demand

January 15, 2026

Ruby Walsh is fully behind Final Demand in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

The exciting seven-year-old is currently the shortest-priced favourite in Cheltenham ante-post betting at 5/4, widely regarded as one of the bankers of the week.

Final Demand is two-from-two over fences, following up an impressive beginners chase victory at Navan in November with Grade 1 glory in the Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick over Christmas.

He is set to head to the Dublin Racing Festival on February 1 for the top-level Ladbrokes Novice Chase, for which he is the 8/11 market leader and expected to further stamp his credentials on the division.

It remains to be seen what will turn up to take him on, with stablemate Kitzbuhel, fresh off a ready win in the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton as well as Gordon Elliott’s Drinmore champion Romeo Coolio among the entries.

Former jockey turned pundit Walsh knows exactly what it takes to win the three-mile showpiece on Wednesday at Cheltenham, successful on two occasions with Denman in 2007 and Cooldine in 2009.

Speaking on Paddy Power’s ‘From The Horse’s Mouth’ podcast, Walsh revealed he finds it very difficult to oppose the jolly.

“We’ve a shorty in it again this year – I’d hate to be against him.

“No it (Limerick win) still doesn’t blow me away and even down the hill into the straight for a couple of strides you’re thinking ‘oh, is he, will he?’ Ultimately he goes and wins and Patrick was very happy with him.

“I think he’s a brilliant jumper, but I still, whatever way you look at it, good horses win even when they’re not at their best and I think he got the job done. I think last year Paul said he probably went too slow on him in the Turners.

“Funnily enough I did the very same thing on Denman and he came out and won the Brown Advisory and I think Final Demand will do the same.”

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— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 28, 2025

Final Demand has tasted defeat just once in his career, coming at Cheltenham last year in the Turners’ Novices’ Hurdle behind The New Lion and The Yellow Clay.

Perhaps that race wasn’t run to suit him, travelling along at a modest pace before sprinting up the hill on nice ground and he’s certainly one that would prefer more of a stamina test.

He looks born and bred for three miles but still oozed class in the Punchestown renewal to make amends at the end of last season, storming clear by 16 lengths in a canter and getting back on track.

A foot-perfect jumper, he will be very hard to beat in the Brown Advisory and if justifying favouritism at the Dublin Racing Festival he could go off shorter than 1/2 at Cheltenham.