I’M SWEET ON HONEY Young star is Won to watch

Champion Hurdle win will bolster rider’s fast-growing fan club MILLIE WONNACOTT

THE young Rachael Blackmore found inspiration in Aidan O’Brien’s triple Champion Hurdler Istabraq — and jockeys Nina Carberry and Katie Walsh.

Now it’s the 31-year-old, who bids for a history-making triumph aboard Honeysuckle in the opening day’s feature event, who is the idol to a new generation of racing fans.

“I get letters from seven-yearold and eight-year-old kids in primary school,” reveals the Tipperary-born rider.

“It must have been on the school curriculum at one stage to write to your sporting heroes, because I was getting a few of them for a week or two.

“It’s hard to think Honeysuckle means that to people. My interest in racing was all about Istrabraq and we went on a school tour to Ballydoyle and saw him.

“I hope it inspires and helps girls. When I was starting off, Nina and Katie were a massive help to me.”

Three-time Festival winner Blackmore is within touching distance of a feat that eluded Carberry and Walsh – success by a female jockey in one of Cheltenham’s championship races. Honeysuckle is Victor Chandler’s 13-8 favourite for the two-mile hurdles title after the unbeaten mare’s explosive victory in the Irish version at February’s Dublin Racing Festival.

Last year, the Henry de Bromhead-trained sevenyear-old beat Benie Des Dieux by half a length to land the Mares’ Hurdle – on the back of a gritty Leopardstown win.

But Honeysuckle’s 10-length destruction of her field last month made the more ambitious target – and a clash with reigning champion Epatante – a formality. “It was just a fantastic performance,” beams Blackmore. “She gave me an incredible feeling and felt a lot sharper than ever before.”

Blackmore captured her first race at the Festival aboard A Plus Tard in the Northern Trust Novices’ Handicap Chase two years ago.

Now the seven-year-old is a 9-2 shot with Victor Chandler for Friday’s

Gold Cup after surging home under Darragh O’Keeffe for the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.

“He’s a very classy individual and has been a very good horse to me,” adds Blackmore, who partners A Plus Tard (right) for boss de Bromhead (above) in preference to stablemate Minella Indo.

“The last day, he was ridden to get the trip because it was a bit of an unknown for him. At the finish it looked like all he was doing was staying on. “He’s stepping up in trip again at Cheltenham, but that could bring out more improvement.”

The prospect of a double in the meeting’s two cherished races seemed an impossible dream when Blackmore rode her first winner as an amateur in February 2011. “Getting a ride in a point-to-point was the top of the mountain back then,” reflects the jockey who went on to lift the conditionals’ title in April 2017, two years and one month after joining the paid ranks.

“You have all your little stepping stones. Getting my amateur licence, turning professional – just getting a ride at Cheltenham was a massive deal at one stage. When I took out my licence, I wanted to win a Cheltenham Gold Cup – but I didn’t think I would even ride there, let alone in a Cheltenham Gold Cup. It’s an unbelievable position to be in.”

MILLIE WONNACOTT has racing in her blood. After early success in the showjumping arena, Wonnacott followed her mother Claire to become a point-to-point champion, joining Neil Mulholland’s Wiltshire stable in 2016.

Turning professional last July, Wonnacott, 24, rode out her 7lb claim at Taunton earlier this month, and rides Mulholland’s Finger on the switch in this afternoon’s Ultima Handicap Chase. Here, the rising star jockey tells DAVID YATES what makes her tick.

MAIN INFLUENCE?

BOTH in and out of racing, it would be my family. I was brought up in racing – both my parents were jockeys – so I was bred into it. My mum and dad rode in the Devon & Cornwall point-to-points. I’ve always loved it.

I have an older sister and a twin brother. I’m the only sibling who wanted to carry on the tradition, and it’s been something I’ve always wanted to do.

RACING HERO?

WHEN I was growing up, I’d be watching (Sir) AP (McCoy) or Ruby Walsh, but I also loved watching Nina Carberry, because she was always breaking records.

Currently, it’s got to be Hollie Doyle – she’s riding five-timers. Every time we think we’re doing well, Hollie destroys us!

BEST MOMENT?

WINNING the London National at Sandown last December on Doing Fine — my first winner since a tough injury.

I fractured T3 and T4 vertebrae at Newton Abbot in August, and I had been back for five days, so that was pretty special.

WORST MOMENT?

LYING on the floor, waiting for an ambulance after my fall from Glengar in a handicap chase at Newton Abbot in August! I had never broken anything before that and it was scary because I knew that something was wrong but I didn’t know what it was.

WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE IN RACING?

THIS might sound biased, because I’m a conditional jockey, but I’d like to see more conditional jockeys’ races.

There are so many conditionals out there, and it’s really hard for them to get opportunities – especially 3lb claimers, whose allowance isn’t as attractive as 5lb or 7lb claimers.

Getting rides is the only way to learn, and I’d like to see one race for conditionals every day.

BEST ATTRIBUTE?

This sounds like I am blowing my own trumpet but, because I was brought up with showjumping, I’ve been told I’m good at presenting a horse at a fence.

I feel like it comes naturally, but then I suppose it should — I’ve been doing it since I was four!

WHAT ONE WORD SUMS YOU UP?

COMPETITIVE. I’m very competitive and quite sporty — I used to play netball at a high level before I went into racing, and then I had to give it up.

Racing is my life and I’m very competitive at it, but I’m the same in any sport I play. I really want to win!

FAVOURITE COURSE?

THAT’S easy — Exeter. It’s the first course where I have ridden a bumper winner, a hurdles winner and a chase winner. I had my first ride over fences there on my mum’s horse, Heaney, in a hunter chase in April 2019. He was a 25-1 chance and he won.

It’s local, it’s a lovely course to ride, and it’s beautiful.

FAVOURITE HORSE?

I’VE got two – Doing Fine and Fingerontheswitch.

They have given me my biggest wins – Doing Fine in the London National and Fingerontheswitch at Kempton in January last year before we finished second in the Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster.

And they are both lovely horses at home and are favourites in the yard.

BEST ADVICE?

WHEN I was an amateur, Mick Fitzgerald told me: “Never be afraid to chase your dreams.”

He said the same thing to Rachael Blackmore – and look how that’s turned out!

I had it in my head that I would be a successful amateur, and Mick told me he thought I was good enough to turn pro and told me to give it a go. I’m very glad he did!

INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOURSELF?

I LOVE drawing and, before I went into racing, I did a foundation course at Plymouth College of Art. I studied art for a year and got into university to study illustration – but I went to work for Neil Mulholland instead!

If I hadn’t been a jockey, I would definitely have been an illustrator.

TOUGHEST RIVAL?

THERE are loads but I suppose the toughest of all has to be Brian Hughes — he’s the champion jockey!

BANKER?

ENVOI ALLEN will be hard to beat in the Marsh Novices’ Chase.