A female jockey has placed in the Grand National before with Katy Walsh partnering Seabass to third in the world's most famous steeplechase at Aintree in 2013. This combination of horse and rider was in front approaching the elbow, but Seabass faded on the run-in while bigger-price runners Neptune Collonges and Sunnyhill boy fought out a photo finish.
Eight years on from Walsh going so close for her trainer father Ted, two high-profile women in the saddle have completed the Grand National "Aintree Entrance - Home of the Grand National" (CC BY 2.0) by Paolo Camera Regardless of a rider's gender, just getting around Aintree and over notorious obstacles such as Becher's Brook, The Chair and Canal Turn is an achievement. Completing isn't enough for elite sportspeople, however. Both Bryony Frost and Rachael Blackmore are no strangers to success at the Merseyside track.
They have each ridden graded winners in handicaps on the inner Mildmay course at Aintree before.
From their potential rides, the latest Grand National 2021 odds suggest Blackmore is more likely to achieve victory than Frost. The Henry De Bromhead stable that she rides for has more Aintree ammunition.
Meet @zoelouisesmithx
— careersinracing.com (@careersinracing) February 26, 2021
Driven, energetic, happy is how her friends would describe her
With already a vast selection of interviews under her belt, you can read up here when she caught up with Rachael Blackmore earlier this year.
➡️ https://t.co/nd2rmbYSgJ #WelcomeZoe ?? pic.twitter.com/mr0IGNagWy
Blackmore, who has a record twelve Grade 1 victories in the UK and Ireland for a lady to date and counting, has twice ridden for powerful owners Gigginstown House Stud in the Grand National before. She hasn't got the leg-up on their first string, but being associated with connections that take Aintree seriously is obviously a plus. After winning two Grade 2 contests aboard Chris's Dream, Blackmore has since handed the reins back to Robbie Power.
Balko Des Flos, meanwhile, hasn't won a race for three years but could be well-handicapped on the pick of his form as a result. Minella Times, for another mighty Irish owner in legendary gambler JP McManus, has been her ride in graded handicaps in the Emerald Isle this season. If he were to sneak into the Grand National final field of 40 off a low weight, then Blackmore could have a real dark horse for Aintree. Yala Enki is Frost's likely mount on Merseyside and she has done best of any female in the big race since Walsh.
That came on tough veteran stayer Milansbar when a distant fifth to Tiger Roll in 2018. Frost's partnerships with certain horses in the Paul Nicholls stable have put her on the map. Her exploits on the now-retired Black Corton and Frodon, a serious Cheltenham Gold Cup contender, besides Yala Enki, give her a higher public profile than Blackmore enjoys over in Ireland.
'We've just won the King George!'
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) December 26, 2020
Name a more iconic duo than winning jockey Bryony Frost and Frodon...#ITVRacing pic.twitter.com/cLvjlJk74u
Whatever happens at Aintree, Frost has already become the first woman to ride a Stayers' Chase Triple Crown winner this year. That memorable victory on Frodon in the King George was a Christmas cracker as she controlled the race superbly from the front. In Yala Enki, Frost has a similar type of front-running horse for the Grand National.
Together, they have won the Portman Cup at Taunton twice and finished third in the Welsh National around Chepstow in consecutive years. Stamina isn't in doubt for Yala Enki. The only thing Frost has to worry about is if better-handicapped horses are heading to Aintree, but she has pulled off surprises before and cannot be underestimated.
