Yet another glass ceiling shattered by Rachael Blackmore
18 March 2022; Rachael Blackmore celebrates aboard A Plus Tard after winning the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase during day four of the Cheltenham Racing Festival at Prestbury Park in Cheltenham, England. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Rachael Blackmore really doesn’t like ceilings. Glass ceilings at any rate. After all, she has spent 12 months shattered them. First the Champion Hurdle. Then the Aintree Grand National. Then the Champion Hurdle once more.
And yesterday, she was at it again, giving 3-1 favourite A Plus Tard a peach of a ride to become the first female jockey to win the Festival highlight, the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, before a record crowd of 73,875.
In doing so, she exorcised the demons of last year’s blue riband when Minella Indo, a horse she could have ridden, outstayed A Plus Tard up the famous hill.
Yesterday the roles were reversed in emphatic fashion as Blackmore played a waiting game before A Plus Tard pounced on his stablemate in devastating fashion at the last fence.
“I didn’t want to do the same thing as last year as it didn’t work,” Blackmore said of her tactics. “He felt very happy throughout the race this year and jumped fantastically.
“Thankfully he was just good over the last two and he picked up incredibly over the last. It’s an incredible feeling when you do that over the back of the last at Cheltenham.” Pandemic restrictions meant Blackmore’s six winners at last year’s Festival came at a crowdless venue. It was still Cheltenham, but it was not Cheltenham as we knew it. This week was very different, a return to normality that was warmly welcomed by the Tipperary woman.
“To have that roar back and to get to walk back in when you can’t see space and you can just see bodies is just incredible,” she said. “It’s the closest thing to feeling like a rockstar you will ever feel without being able to sing. It is just incredible to have people back and I feel very, very lucky.” After last year, some questioned if A Plus Tard truly stayed the Gold Cup trip.
Blackmore had no such doubts.
"I was never worried about A Plus Tard's stamina. I was just conscious not to use up his speed like I did last year. His stamina wasn't a worry, the ride I was going to give him was the worry!” There were moments in the race when A Plus Tard didn’t seem to be travelling all that well but Blackmore was always confident that there was more under the bonnet than a year ago.
“I just knew coming down to the last this year that I had more horse underneath me and that is a great feeling but you still have to get over the last. When I landed I gave him a squeeze and he picked up and I knew I was going to gallop all the way to the line but you don’t truly believe it until you cross the line.
“It takes about 10 strides after the line before you realise it but it is incredible and I’m very lucky to be getting to ride these kind of horses.” To be fair to Blackmore, she has made her own luck over the last year.
“I can't believe it's not even 12 months since the Grand National happened.
“Honeysuckle this week has won another Champion Hurdle and now this. I wish I had better English to describe how I feel, to be honest. It's very overwhelming.” In the post-race press conference, it was hard to escape the sense that Blackmore had spent the last year plotting how to turn the tables on Minella Indo.
“It hasn’t quite been every day but it is definitely in the back of your mind as this is what the whole week is about.” For someone who comes across as somewhat introverted, Blackmore has had to get used to being in the limelight outside of the racing bubble over the last year. The sense is that it’s still not something that sits entirely comfortable with her but the benefits clearly outweigh the cons.
“It’s a privileged position to be in but you are just trying to keep doing what you are doing and you are not focused on that too much. You just try to continue doing what you are doing the best you can.” It’s been an extraordinary journey, one beyond Blackmore’s wildest dreams.
“When I took out my licence, I didn’t think I would be riding at Cheltenham, let alone a favourite in the Gold Cup. I’m so lucky to be getting the chance to ride horses in these kinds of races. This is the Gold Cup, you know what I mean?” We do, Rachael, we do.
