Blackmore growing in stature after first triumph
There is a seven-metre-high statue of Rachael Blackmore outside Cheltenham’s main entrance. It looks a little like a war memorial on a plinth but it is made of plastic rather than stone.
It is, however, Paddy Power’s tribute to all the female jockeys who have ridden winners at the Festival and lists them all and their achievements.
“I try to avoid looking at it,” Blackmore joked before racing yesterday but, ironically, her name was not inscribed on the plinth. It will be now after she broke her Festival duck on the Henry de Bromheadtrained runaway winner of the Close Brothers Handicap Chase, A Plus Tard, the 5-1 favourite.
Only Paul Townend (94) has ridden more winners in Ireland than Blackmore this season and with seven weeks of the season remaining, a first female champion jump jockey, in either Ireland or Britain, is still not beyond the bounds of possibility.
A Cheltenham winner was a matter of when rather than if and De Bromhead, for whom she has won 47 races this season, has put her on most of his big horses this week. “She’s a brilliant jockey,” the Waterford trainer said. “We’re lucky to have her. She had that fall earlier on but she’s tough and just bounces back. I’m delighted for her.”
Blackmore said: “I never dreamt I’d be coming up the hill like that. The race went great, perfect in fact. Henry has put a lot of faith in me, he’s put me up on a lot of his horses all season and I’m very grateful. Cheltenham has its own atmosphere and pressures. Henry just said, ‘Go out and enjoy yourself ’ and left it to me – then he could blame me if it didn’t go right!”