How Rachael Blackmore fell for the Cheltenham Festival

Rachael Blackmore is reflecting on Cheltenham firsts — of which there have been many — however one particularly has her laughing.

It entails a little bit subterfuge, a flummoxed automobile park attendant and recollections of a riotous night time however, by way of all of it, the essence of what makes this a sporting event like no different shines by way of. This, in spite of everything, is the racecourse the place ambition takes flight and desires can soar.

‘I was 20 and went over with three of my girlfriends,’ Blackmore, now 34, recollects. ‘I was very much on the other side of the parade ring. We’d have gone out that night time to Club 21 and let’s simply say it was a really completely different expertise to how Cheltenham is now for me!

‘You feel it when you walk around: the atmosphere, the buzz. Oh, it’s simply class! I knew all about Cheltenham rising up and my first actual reminiscence was of War Of Attrition successful the Gold Cup for Mouse Morris in 2006. But being there for the primary time, you’re simply amazed by all of it.

‘I remember we drove in, one of the girls had a helmet in the back of her car. She held it out the window and said to the guy on the gates: “Oh, we’re jockeys!” so we bought to park within the jockey’s automobile park! She had a pink hat cowl over the helmet, no matter she did it labored.

Rachael Blackmore celebrtates on horse ‘A Plus Tard’ after successful the Cheltenham Gold Cup

‘She saved us a two-mile walk to get in, anyway! I remember, when we got there, looking at the parade ring and thinking “God it’d be so cool to experience right here”… I used to be dreaming about driving a winner it however by no means anticipating it.’

How issues change. Here she is, sitting in Betfair’s plush workplaces on the outskirts of Dublin as arguably essentially the most well-known leap jockey within the enterprise; the thrill of going to Cheltenham is likely to be the identical because it was 14 years in the past however her journey has been such that she now arrives on track as a serial winner. Blackmore would discover that description uncomfortable however the numbers bear it out.

Since her first Festival experience, when she guided 200/1 shot Magna Cartor to complete eleventh of 14 for Shark Hanlon within the 2017 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, Blackmore has galloped relentlessly by way of the report books.

First girl to be main rider on the assembly; first girl to experience the winner of the Gold Cup.

An affiliation with Honeysuckle — the great mare who commanded superstar standing — that can stand the check of time. This, undeniably, is a profession that glitters like a starburst. Her whole for Cheltenham wins stands at 14 and with a guide of wonderful rides to return, that determine will virtually definitely be added to earlier than the shut of play on Friday. Every journey begins someplace and tomorrow, neatly, would be the fifth anniversary of her first success.

‘Look at him!’ says Blackmore, smiling, as we watch her bounding up the hill on A Plus Tard within the Close Brothers Novices Handicap. The partnership would win the most important race of all of them three years later however this success is not any much less particular.

‘The way that he was accelerating after the last was incredible. Look, watch it! It was an unbelievable feeling but you never take it for granted. How often have you seen the dynamic of a race change up the hill? Yes, he was much the best horse but it meant a lot because Henry (De Bromhead, the trainer) was putting a lot of faith in me. So to ride a winner for him was just incredible. In that moment, to be a Cheltenham Festival winning jockey…’

Blackmore has galloped relentlessly by way of the report books on the Cheltenham Festival

She pauses momentarily however what follows results in an much more pronounced silence. If you solely have a passing curiosity in racing, 14 Cheltenham successes may not appear lots however this could give context to what Blackmore has achieved.

Charlie Swan, associate of Istabraq and a nine-time Irish champion, retired with 17 Festival wins; Richard Dunwoody, one of many all-time greats, drew stumps on 18 wins.

‘That’s psychological,’ she says. ‘Honeysuckle has been a massive part of that and I just seem to have had a lot of luck.I just hope it continues. There will be a time to reflect on it when I’m completed however I’m nonetheless on that wheel.’

And that wheel might be turning from 1.30pm tomorrow, when she rides Slade Steel within the Supreme.

‘It’s cool to be part of all of it however then the competitor in you takes over,’ she says. You wish to be concerned within the huge races, you wish to experience winners.

‘Everyone talks about it all year. If you say to a jockey: “You will only ride one winner this season” — every single one of them will reply: “Let it be at Cheltenham”. That’s how necessary it’s.’

l BETFAIR have challenged Rachael Blackmore to lift as much as £250,000 by April 13 for the Irish and British Injured Jockeys Fund. She’s earnt £185,000 up to now, with every winner price £5k. During Cheltenham, they may pay £10k for each success she enjoys.