Ruby Walsh: 'I still think it was a stupid question - but I shouldn't have put myself there'

This article was originally published as part of a series called If I Knew Then in July 2022, in which we talked to famous racing figures about regrets, lessons learned and mistakes made in life. It has been republished for subscribers to mark the launch of Members' Club content on the Racing Post app.

Think back to Ruby Walsh's feral evisceration of Derek Thompson in the aftermath of the 2008 Cheltenham Gold Cup and you might wonder if inviting him to partake in a series defined by the benefit of hindsight is a prudent move.

It is and it isn't. Walsh has always been a straight shooter and isn't one for ruing what might have been, so you come to the table armed with the knowledge that he won't be musing on a Sliding Doors-style crossroads or indulging in the futility of 'what if'. That's never been his way, but he is also never less than an utterly compelling interviewee.