Leading National Hunt jockey Ruby Walsh is facing an anxious few weeks as he continues to make steady progress from the fall that resulted in a fractured left arm and that could yet rule him out of a return to the saddle at the Galway Festival later this month.

Walsh, stable jockey to the mighty Paul Nicholls yard, took a crashing fall from high class Celestial Halo in the Grade 1 John Smith's Dick Francis Aintree Hurdle at April's Grand National fixture, whilst leading at the second last flight of the race eventually won by  Khyber Kim, and has been on the 'easy list' ever since. Despite intensive therapy and a punishing fitness regime, it will only be five days before Galway, when he has his arm scanned, that the popular Irishman will know if his injury has heeled sufficiently enough for him to resume his irish racing duties. 

Although he missed the last six weeks of the season, Walsh still posted another fine haul last term, particularly at the highest level, with memorable victories for his guv'nor on horses such as the great Kauto Star who he partnered to land his fourth successive King George VI Chase at Kempton, Denman, winner of his second Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury, Big Bucks who scored in both the World Hurdle and the Liverpool Hurdle, What A Friend, winner of the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown and the Totesport Bowl at Aintree, Tatiano in the Maghull Novices' Chase, and Twist Magic in both the Tingle Creek Chase and the Victor Chandler Chase.

With the incentive of more of the same to come from the all-conquering Nicholls team in the 2010/11 term Walsh is desperate to return to the fray and continue his long running sporting rivalry with best friend and riding legend Tony McCoy. Fingers crossed he's back in action at beautiful Galway.