Rachael Blackmore Profile

Rachael Blackmore is, quite simply, a generational jockey. As a 14-time Cheltenham winner, a three-time Irish Champion Hurdle victor (in three consecutive years) and the first female winner of the Grand National, her CV is loaded with trophies and records alike.

Before becoming a professional jockey Blackmore dominated the amateur scene, riding 11 point-to-point winners and seven winners in her final year as a non-professional in 2015. Later that same year, she won her first race as a full-time jockey when Most Honourable triumphed at Clonmel.

The Irishwoman continued to make a name for herself and her first piece of history was solidified in 2017 when she became the first woman to win the Conditional Riders’ Championship in her home country.

In recent years, Blackmore has become best known for her winning partnership with Honeysuckle. Their first Grade 1 victory together came in 2019 and the two subsequently rode to four victories in four years at Cheltenham as well as numerous Irish Champion Hurdle victories at Punchestown. Blackmore and Honeysuckle were coined ‘a match made in heaven’.

Furthermore, she is a former BBC Sports Personality of the Year award winner and received an MBE in 2023 for her services to sport.

Rachael Blackmore Record and Previous Winners

It’s hard not to eulogise over Rachael Blackmore’s record in recent years – especially at Cheltenham. She has entered the winning circle 14 times at racing’s biggest festival, including earning the prestigious title of Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle winner (twice).

Blackmore is a household name on the British and Irish racing circuit as a former Grand National winner; she was the first female jockey to bring home a win in the National at Aintree when she did so aboard Minella Times in 2021.

Over the last five seasons, Blackmore has won over 300 races and she will be a name that bettors look out for at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.

Rachael Blackmore Cheltenham Record

Rachael Blackmore’s Cheltenham record is something to behold, riding to 14 victories since her festival debut.

The first victory of her illustrious career at the greatest show on turf also came in 2019 when she steered A Plus Tard across the finish line in the Centenary Novices’ Handicap Chase. This was closely followed by her second victory at the event with Minella Indo winning the Champion Chase.

Racing’s most prestigious festival would continue being a happy hunting ground for Blackmore in subsequent years as well. In 2020, she rode the horse she would become most synonymous with, Honeysuckle, to her first victory at the Cheltenham Festival in the David Nicholson Mares’ Hurdle.

However, her most outstanding appearance at Cheltenham was undoubtedly in 2021 when she rode six winners across four days. Her beloved Honeysuckle was the most notable victor, coming home with the Champion Hurdle crown. Other Blackmore winners from 2021 included Allaho in the Ryanair Chase, Bob Olinger in the Novices’ Hurdle, Tellmesomethinggirl in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, Quilixios in the Triumph Hurdle and Sir Gerhard in the Champion Bumper.

She defended her Champion Hurdle title in 2022, once again winning with Honeysuckle, but managed to go one better and lift the coveted Cheltenham Gold Cup for the first time in her career with A Plus Tard that same year, becoming the first female jockey to do so.

Recent Rachael Blackmore Winners

Over Blackmore’s last 15 rides at the time of writing she has garnered two victories in total, one coming at Punchestown on Majestic Force and the other at Fairyhouse riding Theatre Native.

She has ridden numerous second-placed finishers across that stretch – including her most recent outing at Thurles where she finished runner-up behind 10/1 outsider Rowdy Romeo despite leading over the last fence.

Blackmore is not in scintillating form heading into Cheltenham but the greatest show on turf is usually where she thrives and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see her form turn across the four-day racing extravaganza.

Form is correct at the time of publication but subject to change

Rachael Blackmore in Numbers

• 2021 – Blackmore became the first female jockey to win the Grand National at Aintree aboard Minella Times
• 14 – She has raced to 14 victories at the Cheltenham Festival, including two Champion Hurdle wins and one Gold Cup victory
• 6 – In 2021, Blackmore rode six different winners at Cheltenham, with the crowning moment being a Champion Hurdle triumph with Honeysuckle
• 2 – Blackmore is the reigning Ryanair Chase champion with Envoi Allen and the duo will be going for two in a row at the Cheltenham Festival this year
• 92 – She finished second in the 2020/21 Irish Jockeys’ Championship with 92 winners across the season

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