The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
‘Incredible’ Blackmore puts racing in spotlight
History was made at Aintree on Saturday, as Rachael Blackmore put racing in the headlines for all the right reasons.
For those who decided to look beyond Blackmore in the Randox Grand National, thinking she surely could not top what she achieved at Cheltenham, it was time to rip up their tickets.
As much as Blackmore does not like talking about the barriers she is currently smashing down in National Hunt racing, they simply cannot be ignored.
Many thought that being crowned leading jockey at the pre-eminent festival in the Cotswolds had to be the ceiling of an incredible season, but at Aintree there was even more to come.
As soon as it became apparent a few weeks ago that Minella Times – trained by her close ally Henry de Bromhead – was going to be her National mount, his price began to collapse.
Sent off a well-fancied 11-1 chance, there was no doubt who carried the ‘housewives’ favourite’ tag into the race this year.
Just about the only thing Blackmore got wrong at Cheltenham, though, was her choice of what to ride in the Gold Cup when she plumped for A Plus Tard over Minella Indo.
Just as happened last month, De Bromhead runners finished first and second in the big race, but there was surely a moment at the second-last when she looked across and saw Aidan Coleman travelling ominously well on stablemate Balko Des Flos.
Blackmore had been unseated from the 2018 Ryanair winner in the cross-country chase at Cheltenham and, despite his 100-1 odds, she told everyone who would listen that he would outrun those. She even got that right.
Thankfully for her, and no doubt the organisers, she was nonetheless on the right one this time as Minella Times stayed on powerfully to win by six and a half lengths.
“I am so lucky to be riding these horses for Henry. This is so massive. I had such a beautiful passage around,” said Blackmore.
“Minella Times jumped fantastically and didn’t miss a beat anywhere. I couldn’t believe it, jumping the second-last – I don’t know, it’s just incredible.
“When I hit the rail and I heard I was four lengths in
front, I knew he was going to gallop to the line, but we all know what can happen on the run-in here.”
She added: “This is the Aintree Grand National. I’m completely blown away.
“This is a massive deal for me personally, not the fact I’m a female. The thing that hit me when I crossed the line was that I’d won the National, not that I’m the first female to win the National. I’m just delighted.”
While Blackmore will quite rightly take the plaudits for creating more history, De Bromhead’s achievements this season deserve credit as well.
He has saddled the first two home in the Grand National and Gold Cup, as well as winning the Champion Hurdle with Honeysuckle and the Champion Chase with Put The Kettle On.
The Waterford trainer said: “It’s fantastic. Rachael is breaking all records. We’re just delighted.
“Balko Des Flos ran a cracker and Chris’s Dream was going very well, but unfortunately he unshipped Darragh O’Keeffe four out.”
● The high-profile meetings at Ayr and Newbury scheduled for this Saturday have been switched to the following afternoon as a mark of respect for the funeral ceremony of the Duke of Edinburgh.
The British Horseracing Authority has confirmed no racing will take place in Britain between 2.45pm and 4.15pm – and as a result, Ayr’s Coral Scottish Grand National fixture and the Dubai Duty Free Spring Trials meeting at Newbury will now be held on Sunday.