Rachael Blackmore could be back before Christmas
Rachael Blackmore could make a welcome return to the saddle in December if her recovery goes according to plan.
Rachael Blackmore is an Irish jumps jockey who rode Minella Times to victory in the 2021 Grand National becoming the first female ever to win the famous Aintree race.
She added a Gold Cup to her trophy haul with a fine success in the Cheltenham centrepiece in 2022, romping to a 15 length victory on A Plus Tard.
The classy jockey built on her six winners at Cheltenham in 2021, just one short of Ruby Walsh's record of seven victories in one meeting.
Five of Blackmore's six 2021 Cheltenham winners came aboard horses trained by County Waterford handler Henry De Bromhead with Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle arguably the best of her super six.
In taking the 2021 Champion Hurdle she had become the first female to win a championship race at Cheltenham, while her leading rider gong was another first for a female rider.
She took her Cheltenham tally to 16 in 2024 after winning on the Queen Mother Champion Chase on Captain Guinness and Slade Steel in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle.
Blackmore typifies the Irish stranglehold over the top UK National Hunt meetings with her clinically efficient performances leaving the British contingent scratching their heads and scrapping over the minor honours.
🏆 A Plus Tard wins the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup 🏆
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) March 18, 2022
Another massive win for @rachaelblackmor! #CheltenhamFestival | #ITVRacing pic.twitter.com/rcUkYEqkBC
Blackmore sprung a 12/1 surprise on Abolitionist in the Leinster National Handicap Chase at Naas in March 2017. Blackmore produced a well judged ride to challenge from four out on the Ellmarie Holden trained horse to pick up a hefty €59,000 prize in the three mile contest.
For a jockey making a name for herself, Blackmore had to pick up rides with less fashionable trainers such John Walsh, for whom she picked up a cool €59,000 purse aboard 10/1 outsider Davids Charm in the Bar One Racing Handicap Hurdle at Fairyhouse in December 2017.
For a jockey who had built a career from the bottom up, her first Cheltenham Festival winner was sweet aboard A Plus Tard for De Bromhead in March 2019.
A Plus Tard translates from French as "see you later" and Blackmore, in the famous red white and blue Cheveley Park Stud colours was waving cheerio as her mount skipped on for a 16 length victory.
Odds of 5/1 seemed generous for Blackmore's next Cheltenham win in the Parnell Properties Mares' Novices' Hurdle. She was content to hold up Telmesomethinggirl in the rear of the field before making headway after two out and going on to score by five and a half lengths.
Blackmore was to cap a sensational Cheltenham Festival 2021 by taking the JCB Triumph Hurdle on Qulixios for De Bromhead and Cheveley Park Stud, bringing up a magnificent six timer that not even Townend could rival.
Her control of Cheltenham 2021 was shown in the Gold Cup where Blackmore's supreme race tactics came to the fore when boxing off the hat-trick chasing Al Boum Photo, allowing stablemate Minella Indo to strike the front.
Blackmore chased home the 9/1 winner Minella Indo on A Plus Tard, making it a superb one-two for De Bromhead.
That win brought a modest first prize of €6776 but after little more than a year Blackmore had collected a hefty €73,750 purse by winning the Grade 1 Grace Hurdle at the same track.
Short-priced horse backers were a tad uneasy as the 11/10 favourite Honeysuckle set out to win the Champion Hurdle on the first day of the 2021 Festival.
However there was no need for nerves as Blackmore laid out a masterclass of settling a horse and getting Honeysuckle to jump, opening up a four length lead approaching the last and leaving the field strung out for a six and a half length win from Sharjah.
The win continued the De Bromhead wonder-mare's unbelievable 15 win streak.
SUPERSTARS! ⭐️
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 15, 2022
RACHAEL BLACKMORE and HONEYSUCKLE retain their @UnibetRacing Champion Hurdle crown 👑 pic.twitter.com/U8qdsli2j4
The start of the 2022/23 season didn't go as planned for Honeysuckle after back-to-back defeats in the Hatton's Grace and the Irish Champion Hurdle- which were the only blots on Honeysuckle's previously perfect record.
She returned in the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival and beat Love Envoi and Queens Brook on her final career start for De Bromhead.
Riding the eight-year-old Minella Times sent off at 11/1, she smashed all boundaries, becoming one of the greatest female jockeys of all time.
Rachael Blackmore could make a welcome return to the saddle in December if her recovery goes according to plan.
A fall at Downpatrick on Friday will put Rachael Blackmore out of action for "the coming weeks".
Once the UK's afternoon racing ends Ballinrobe takes centre stage across the Irish Sea, and this 19-runner handicap chase promises to be one of the most competitive races on Monday evening's card.
The feature race on day three at the Punchestown Festival sees a host of familiar faces line up for a tilt at landing the biggest prize on Thursday’s card, the Champion Stayers’ Hurdle.
It might be a quiet Tuesday at the races in the UK, but it’s a huge day over in Ireland, where this competitive novices’ chase offers one of the best contests on day one of the Punchestown Festival.
The jumps season in Ireland says a long goodbye this week with five days of action from the peerless Punchestown Festival. We kick off with tips for day one on Tuesday, April 30.
The high-quality jumps action comes thick and fast at Sandown’s season finale, and the Select Hurdle is no exception, with several proven Cheltenham and Aintree performers among the stellar line-up.