A homecoming for Unibet Champion Hurdle heroine Honeysuckle and Boddles Cheltenham Gold Cup victor A Plus Tard, was held at Henry de Bromhead’s stables at Knockeen, County Waterford, today.
Henry de Bromhead with A Plus Tard & Rachael Blackmore with Honeysuckle today (PA Images)
Honeysuckle created history by becoming the first mare to win the Unibet Champion Hurdle twice as she repeated her success of 2021. A Plus Tard got the better of stable companion Minella Indo in the Boddles Cheltenham Gold Cup – a reversal of the 2021 result.
Both Honeysuckle and A Plus Tard were partnered to victory by Rachael Blackmore. Having already made history in 2021 by becoming the first female rider to win the Unibet Champion Hurdle, this year the 32 year old became the first female jockey to win the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup – the Blue Riband of chasing.
Blackmore’s Champion Hurdle-Gold Cup success in 2022 was the first time this prestigious double had been completed since 1997, when Sir A P McCoy won the Champion Hurdle on Make A Stand and the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Mr Mulligan.
Henry de Bromhead with A Plus Tard & Rachael Blackmore with Honeysuckle today (PA Images)
Rachael Blackmore said today: “There is one Gold Cup every year and in your career as a jockey, you only get so many strikes at riding in it.
“You’ve got to ride a horse extremely fancied in it and not everyone gets that opportunity. The year before, I was in a similar position and I picked the wrong horse, so it was just fantastic to be able to actually achieve that
“Henry is an incredible trainer. He had both horses in fantastic shape in both years. The way it worked out I was just lucky to be in front this year.”
Blackmore also created history in 2021 when partnering Minella Times to victory in the Randox Grand National, becoming the first female jockey to win the world’s most famous chase.
Minella Times was also trained by Henry de Bromhead and looking ahead to this year’s contest at Aintree on Saturday 9th April, the trainer said: “Minella Times has been a little bit disappointing this year but he seems to be coming back to himself, so we are hoping he’s coming into form.
“Unfortunately, Balko des Flos (the 2021 runner-up) won’t be going this season, but we’ve got plenty of others including Chris’s Dream and Court Maid. She (Court Maid) has just joined our team and we also have Poker Party, so there are plenty of others there to represent us.”
