Rachael’s National

A pioneering woman of sport

THE ALL conquering Rachael Blackmore made Randox Grand National history on Minella Times because she was the best jockey – male or female – in the 40-runner race. She certainly had a willing, and able, partner as she became the first woman in history to win horse racing’s ultimate test, but it was her horsemanship, first at Cheltenham and now at Aintree, that sets her apart.

In a sport where the inherent risks are ever present, she has now won a race that eluded so many of the great champions in a physically demanding sport where jockeys of both sexes do compete as equals. Now 31, Blackmore was not an overnight success. She had to work hard to get chances and prove herself. And, tellingly, she wants this to be her legacy. “To young people out there, male or female, if you want to go and do something, do it, because for me standing here right now, it shows that literally anything can happen,” stresses this new sporting heroine. They’re profound and powerful words.