Rachael Blackmore is set to embark on a new season in National Hunt racing, and once again, the Irish jockey will be targeting success in some of the biggest races in the sport.
Blackmore has already been a trailblazer for female jockeys. She became the first woman to win the Irish Conditional Jockeys title in 2017. Losing her claim has not stopped her progressing as she now has over 250 winners to her name.
A big moment in her career came at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival. As you can see from the horse racing results at Paddy Power, she rode her first winner at the meeting. A Plus Tard gave her a win in the Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase. That was a dream come true for Blackmore and she proved she is a jockey for the big occasions.
Blackmore has a lot to look forward to in the 2020/21 campaign. Honeysuckle is the pick of the horses she is set to ride. Henry De Bromhead’s runner was carried to victory by Blackmore in the Mares’ Hurdle in 2020. There could be an even bigger target in 2021 as the Champion Hurdle is being discussed for the talented mare.
Given that she sets her sights so high, Blackmore will also be bidding to become the Irish Jump Racing Champion Jockey this season. She leads the standings in the early stages of the campaign with 36 winners, three ahead of her nearest rival Sean Flanagan.
Blackmore finished second in the 2018/19 Irish Jump Racing Championship behind Paul Townend. She was just 19 winners away from top spot at the end of the season. 12 months later, she finished third as Townend and Davy Russell filled the top two positions respectively.
No woman has ever won the Irish Jumps Racing Champion Jockey title, however, Blackmore is riding with the utmost confidence this season. If she can stay injury-free, she will have an excellent chance at the end of the campaign.
The Grand National is the most famous steeplechase in the world and Blackmore will be hoping she can become the first female rider to win the race in April.
Blackmore rode in the 4m2½f contest for the first time in 2018 but was unable to complete the course as her mount Alpha Des Obeaux fell at the chair. In 2019, she fared much better onboard Valseur Lido, with the 66-1 outsider finishing 10th in the race.
The experience of those two races will stand Blackmore in good stead this season. She could have the choice of rides this year which will put her in a strong position. Tiger Roll currently tops the ante-post betting at 12/1 as he bids to win the Aintree feature for a third time following his victory in 2019, but beyond the defending champion, the market suggests it is a wide-open contest.
There will be no shortage of opportunities to win big races before then for Blackmore, but if she can end the season with the Grand National, she can add her name into history as the best female jockey of all time.
