Iconic victory smashes down another Barrier for women
Hblackmore left stunned after historic Champion Hurdle win hhoneysuckle delivers perfect finish to keep unbeaten record
It is perhaps just as well there was not a crowd at Cheltenham yesterday because, as Honeysuckle and Rachael Blackmore galloped 6½ lengths clear of her rivals up the hill in the Unibet Champion Hurdle, the racecourse’s next building project would have been to replace the roof.
At last, differentiating between male and female jockeys can and should be put to bed, after the world’s most iconic hurdle race, and the first of Cheltenham’s holy trinity of great races, finally fell to a femaleridden winner.
It is a man’s world no longer, although, when pressed about it, Blackmore refused to be drawn into the battle of the sexes.
If she is going to be an inspiration to anyone, she would prefer it to be all aspiring young jockeys, male or female. “There’s no deal about it,” she said. “If you want to be a jockey, you can be a jockey. Drive on.”
On a day when a failed internet connection during the first half of the afternoon would have been the best result for bookmakers after three of the first four races went to short-priced winners, the modest Blackmore, 31, delivered her unbeaten partner with perfect timing.
The 11-10 favourite jumped to the front at the second last and the petite, light-boned mare, who looks almost too fragile to be flinging herself over obstacles, never looked in danger thereon in, recording her 11th straight win, 12 if you include a point-to-point.
She instantly put clear water between herself and the pack and pinged the last, leaving Sharjah, runner-up for a second year, and last year’s winner, Epatante, to chase her home somewhat forlornly, but giving a solid look to the form.
While other winners yesterday returned to a reception on a par with the announcement of the winner of the largest marrow contest at a village fete, everyone on site, officials, jockeys, even Willie Mullins who trained the runner-up, stood and applauded Honeysuckle and Blackmore, a popular winner in any year. The jockey, who rides A Plus Tard in Friday’s Gold Cup, is modest to a fault and was almost overcome by the occasion, though she has had a few years building up to this. “I’m speechless,” she said, almost choking. “She’s just incredible. I can’t believe I’ve won a Champion Hurdle. It’s just incredible, yeah.
“She’s done everything I’ve wanted her to through the race.
When Goshen headed off [with apparent steering problems] and came back in, I was slightly worried. I wish I had something more [to say].
“Henry [de Bromhead] just produces her every day in that kind of form, for me to just steer around.”
The Tipperary farmer’s daughter, who only turned professional because she was going so badly as an amateur in 2015, admitted the Champion Hurdle had never even been a dream, it appeared so far beyond her reach.
“You can’t do it without getting on the horse and I was so lucky getting linked up with Henry,” she said. “I was in the right place at the right time. It’s incredible that I went to see Istabraq [three-time winner] on a school trip, I never envisaged
the day I’d be riding the Champion Hurdle winner.”
Waterford-based De Bromhead, who has also won the Champion Chase twice with Sizing Europe and Special Tiara, paid tribute to Honeysuckle’s owner, Kenny Alexander, former chief executive of GVC, owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, but contributed to a bad day at the office for them yesterday, and his racing manager, Peter Malony. “Peter introduced me to Kenny at this meeting three years ago and a month later we bought Honey,” he recalled. “It’s amazing. Rachael is as good as any of the guys and Honeysuckle is an incredible mare.
“She’s been in a different zone this year. She’s become a real prima donna now. When she arrived, she was laid-back and chilled out, now it takes two people to brush her and two to catch her.
“But you don’t mind any of that when they have that ability. All in all, that was one of the more relaxed races I’ve watched here. Rachael is brilliant and Honeysuckle is a great horse – it’s the perfect storm.”
In a normal year, the bolts of the roof would have been loosened when Appreciate It, the 8-11 favourite, ambled home 24 lengths clear of Ballyadam to win the opening Skybet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, a 73rd Festival winner for Mullins, followed 35 minutes later by Shishkin, another good thing at 4-9, in the Sporting Life Arkle Trophy.
“I couldn’t believe he [Appreciate It] won so easily,” said Mullins. “He looks as good as any we’ve won this race with. I thought starting off we’d be going for the Ballymore or Albert Bartlett, and here we are after winning the Supreme, so I’m probably not the person to ask what we’ll be doing next season. I had chasing in my mind, but we might have the same argument that we had with Faugheen. I never envisaged him as a Champion Hurdle horse – we’ll leave that to next season.”
With more one-way systems than the city of Oxford and strict observance of the two-metre rule, there is a greater chance of catching a bad dose of solitude than Covid at this year’s Festival. However, if anyone there felt they were wandering lonely as a cloud, it was Vintage Clouds.
With few fallers, no casualties – human or equine – and sunshine, the 11-year-old grey put a seal on an almost perfect day to restore racing’s reputation. Running in the Ultima Chase for the fifth time, he not only provided bookmakers with a little respite, winning at 28-1, but a much-needed winner for the North.
There was more relief for the layers when Jeff Kidder produced an 80-1 shock in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle. The lightly-raced four-year-old made the most of his light weight on his first run in a handicap to foil the 9-2 favourite Saint Sam. Winning jockey Sean Flanagan was having his first Festival success, as was Ryan Mania on Vintage Clouds.
Like Blackmore, they will know that in their profession there are few things sweeter.