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Rachael Blackmore: everything you need to know about this record-breaking National Hunt jockey


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  • Find out everything you need to know about Irish jump jockey Rachael Blackmore after her incredible Champion Hurdle victory at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival with wonder mare, Honeysuckle.

    1. Rachael was born on 11 July 1989 and hails from Killenaule in County Tipperary.

    2. She rode her first winner as an amateur jockey on 10 February 2011 at Thurles aboard Stowaway Pearl .

    3. Rachael rode 11 point-to-point winners and seven winners as an amateur rider before turning professional in March, 2015.

    4. With 32 winners, she became the first female jockey to win the Conditional Riders’ title in the 2016/2017 season.

    5. Her first Cheltenham Festival winners came in 2019 when she rode A Plus Tard and Minella Indo to victory in the same week.

    6. Rachael’s first Grade One success in Ireland came on the De Bromhead-trained Honeysuckle in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2019.

    7. She ended the 2019/20 season with 90 winners, easily securing the runner-up spot in the Irish jockeys’ championship behind Paul Townend.

    8. During the 2019/2020 season, which was cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic finished third to Paul Townend in the Irish jockeys’ championship.

    9. On 16 March 2021 Rachael made history when becoming the first female jockey to win the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham Festival aboard the Henry De Bromhead-trained Honeysuckle.

    10. Rachael was once again a history maker in 2021 when becoming the first female jockey to win the Grand National aboard Minella Times.

    11. Rachael was second in the 2020/2021 Irish jockeys’ championship with 92 winners, just eight behind Paul Townend.

    12. On 15 March 2022, Rachael rode Honeysuckle into the history books, when this horse became the first mare to win two Cheltenham Festival Champion Hurdle titles.

    Keep up to date with all the latest news and updates from the Cheltenham Festival via the Horse & Hound website and read the full report in the 24 March issue of the magazine.

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