Mum-to-be Rachael Blackmore will not make weight at Cheltenham however could have new position

Super jockey is head of horse racing festival’s returning Ladies’ Day

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Racing mum-to-be Rachael Blackmore said she ‘definitely’ will not make the ‘weight’ to ride at Cheltenham this year – but she will still be Queen of Ladies’ Day.

The trailblazing super jockey – the first woman to win the Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup – admitted this year’s horse fest will be ‘drastically different’ for her.

The Irish star – who announced she is pregnant a fortnight ago – has a new job as head of Ladies’ Day which is returning to Cheltenham for the first time in eight years.

And though she admits will miss riding winners she hopes to inspire others to land £10,000 in prize at the racing festival’s new style awards.

She said: “It’s going to be drastically different. I’m definitely not going to be able to do the weight this time. But Ladies’ Day is very much going to be back with a bang.”

Rachael, 36, dramatically hung up her racing boots last May after riding 575 winners including 18 at Cheltenham. She became the first woman to be leading jockey at the festival with six victories in 2021. A month later she became the first female to win the Grand National at Aintree on Minella Times.

The following year she made more history riding to victory in the Cheltenham Gold Cup on A Plus Tard.

She and husband Brian Hayes – also a jockey – tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in West Cork, Ireland on January 5 and announced they were expecting a baby on Instagram.

But it will not keep Rachael, 36, away from Cheltenham – which starts on March 10.

She is head of Ladies Day on Wednesday March 11 – an event which was ditched in 2018 by racing chiefs who decided to simply number the days one-to-four.

But after ticket sales data analysis revealed fewer women were attending Ladies’ Day is back – with Rachael at the reins.

She said: “Cheltenham identified that there was an issue. Only 25% of ticket purchasers were female so they knew they needed to do something to bring back that buzz.

“It is a massive meeting, the pinnacle of our sport, and for a lot of women the Ladies’ Day element and the racing all ties together. A lot of women love getting dressed up.

“There are lots of new initiatives for the Wednesday and there are over £10,000 worth of prizes available as well. It’s an occasion for everyone to feel at home.”

Cheltenham chiefs will turn the famous racecourse’s Centaur building into a Ladies’ Day hub with entertainment ‘before, after and in between races’, said Rachael.

She has been promoting the events at shopping centres in Cardiff, Oxford and Birmingham and has found the response to the rekindled event incredibly positive.

“I’ve absolutely loved it and it’s been very insightful to get out and meet people,” she said.

“When we were out promoting Ladies’ Day I was amazed by the amount of people who said, ‘I’ve always wanted to go, it’s always been on my bucket list’.

“Perhaps because we were out there talking to them they might get tickets this time.

“We had a really positive response from people. We had the Gold Cup trophy there and a wheel you could spin to try to win free tickets.

“It was a very fun atmosphere and hopefully it will be a success. We’ll see when the numbers come in for Wednesday ticket sales but I was very struck by the love there is out there for racing.”

Rachael said she was looking forward to attending the festival without having to worry about piloting a winner.

“Cheltenham is very much about the racing,” she said.

“But I was at the November meeting and I had such a different experience to when I was riding.

“There is an incredible shopping village, which I never got to see, there is so much going on and to tie it in with top-tier sport is fantastic.

“It will be really interesting for me to see what the festival is like when you’re not in the weighing room.

“Hopefully there will be plenty to be learned from this year that can be brought into next year – things we can identify so that Ladies’ Day can grow year-on-year rather than just be a success this time.

“If everyone has a good experience this year then it will have the knock on effect of being bigger and better next year.”