Cheltenham Festival horse crashes into huge fence as jockey accused of causing bad fall

A jockey has been shaken after his horse crashed into the wing of the final jump of the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival. Mark Walsh was sent through the giant fence as he rode Corbetts Cross, who failed to clear the final hurdle despite battling for the lead for the duration of the contest until the incident occurs.

The horse and jockey managed to get to their feet after the crash, although Walsh appeared shaken and appeared to be clutching his left arm as he walked away from the scene. ITV host Ed Chamberlin then expressed concern for Walsh, who has just returned from injury, insisting the pilot 'didn't look good' after coming out of the rear of Corbetts Cross at high speed.

Walsh was originally supposed to race again just 40 minutes later at the prestigious Gold Cup event at Cheltenham, but was eventually forced to miss out due to his involvement in the crash. Two-time Gold Cup winner Ruby Walsh then blamed the jockey for causing the accident by hitting the horse's left side with the whip, which he says swung him straight into the fence.

“He should have had his whip in the other hand, because you give the horse the opportunity,” he explained in his pundit role on ITV. "As a rider you have to take that opportunity away and unfortunately he didn't."

JUST IN: Zara Tindall wears a stylish navy ensemble on her last day at Cheltenham

Punters who backed the Corbetts Cross, owned by JP McManus, will be kicking their butts after the horse's dramatic exit with just yards to go in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, the final event before the Gold Cup at Cheltenham. He looked to have been in contention heading into the latter as market rivals Three Card Brag lost ground late, with Stay Away Fay eventually claiming the spoils.

The latter won as an 18/1 underdog ahead of Affordale Fury, who came second at a whopping 150/1, while Sandor Clegane followed in third at 28/1. Corbetts Cross entered among the favorites at 11/4, but his late crash kept him out of the rankings, leaving his backers empty-handed.

Don't miss...Police arrest two Guinness Village workers in Cheltenham [NEWS]Princess Anne looks radiant in her tartan suit and 'incredibly well-fitting' jewellery[GOSSIP]Cheltenham Festival tips - Sept best bets on day four [TIPS ]

Harry Cobden, the winning jockey, said after the race: "I could hear what happened behind me. My horse is very inexperienced, he is very green but he has his head down. This horse stay forever. Great for the boss."

Winning trainer Paul Nicholls added: "He looked fantastic, he ran like he was. He jumped really well."

Free £2 store bet with William Hill every day of the Cheltenham Festival - plus all the fantastic daily coverage you need.

Collect your Daily Express every day of the festival for special races, daily updates and a free bet EVERY DAY.

Celebrate the biggest racing week of the year: the Cheltenham Festival. One of the most prestigious National Hunting Meetings on the calendar is not to be missed... and here we go...