Doyle pays tribute to awesome Blackmore

HOLLIE DOYLE described Rachael Blackmore as “awesome” as she summed up the Irish jump jockey’s remarkable week at the Cheltenham Festival.

Doyle herself has been breaking record after record on the Flat scene in the UK, while Blackmore displayed her unique talents by becoming the first female to be crowned top jockey at the biggest jumps meeting in the calendar.

Blackmore chalked up six winners, including Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle and Allaho in the Ryanair Chase.

“It’s unreal. She’s different class, she’s awesome,” said Doyle. “I saw a bit of it. I was riding as well, but I managed to catch up on all that was going on. It’s the equivalent of riding six Royal Ascot winners. She works so hard and she’s so talented. Everyone deserves success when it’s like that.”

Blackmore narrowly missed out on the biggest prize of the week, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, when riding A Plus Tard into second behind the Jack Kennedy-partnered Minella Indo. She had the pick of the Henry de Bromhead-trained pair, but chose the wrong one.

“That’s racing. It would have been the cherry on the top, but I don’t think she’d be walking away complaining too much about that,” said Doyle. “She’s on a good run of things and she’s getting the right rides. It’s great.”

Blackmore is pushing titleholder Paul Townend hard in the race to be champion jump jockey in Ireland.

“To be champion jockey, let alone in Ireland, where it’s tough for everyone riding as it’s dominated by certain trainers and jockeys, would be amazing,” said Doyle. “The cream always rises to the top in the end and in this case it has, definitely.”