Waikato Times

Irish jockey first woman to win Grand National

- Steve Douglas of

A Hollywood fantasy turned into reality yesterday when Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to win Britain’s gruelling Grand National horse race, breaking down one of the biggest gender barriers in sports.

Blackmore, a 31-year-old Irishwoman, rode Minella Times to a landmark victory at odds of 11-1 in the 173rd edition of the famous steeplecha­se at Aintree in Liverpool, northwest England

‘‘I don’t feel male or female right now. I don’t even feel human,’’ Blackmore said. ‘‘This is just unbelievab­le.’’

Blackmore is the 20th female jockey to compete in a race that has been a mud-splattered British sporting institutio­n since 1839. Women have only been allowed to enter the National as jockeys since 1975, making it a male-dominated event – until now.

‘‘I never even imagined I’d get a ride in this race, never mind get my hands on the trophy,’’ Blackmore said.

After all, the 1944 Hollywood movie National Velvet was the story of a 12-year-old girl, Velvet Brown – played by a young Elizabeth Taylor – who won the Grand National on The Pie, a gelding she won in a raffle and one she decided to train for the world’s biggest horse race. In the story, Brown was later disqualifi­ed on a technicali­ty, having dismounted before reaching the enclosure.

Even though Aintree was without race-goers because of the pandemic, cheers rang out as Blackmore made her way off the course – still aboard Minella Times – and into the winner’s enclosure. She looked as if she couldn’t believe what she had done.

‘‘For all the girls who watched

National Velvet!’’ tweeted Hayley Turner, a former female jockey. ‘‘Thank you Rachael Blackmore, we’re so lucky to have you.’’

Blackmore, the daughter of a dairy farmer and school teacher, grew up on a farm and rode ponies. She didn’t have a classic racing upbringing, though, making her ascent in the sport all the more inspiratio­nal.

A profession­al jockey since

2015, she rode the second most winners in Irish jump racing in

2018-19, the same season she won her first races at the prestigiou­s Cheltenham Festival. She was already the face of British and Irish horse racing before arriving at Aintree, having become the first woman to finish as the leading jockey at Cheltenham three weeks ago.

Now she’s won the biggest race of them all, one that even non-horse racing enthusiast­s turn on to watch and one that first captured Blackmore’s imaginatio­n.

 ??  ?? Rachael Blackmore celebrates after winning the Grand National on Minella Times.
Rachael Blackmore celebrates after winning the Grand National on Minella Times.

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