Cheltenham: Rachael Blackmore remains confident in Honeysuckle

When the paddocks fell silent in the absence of the usual roaring crowds at Cheltenham Festival, Rachael Blackmore’s historic victory brought the noise.

Last year, the Irish jockey was catapulted into the spotlight after she became the first woman to win the Champion Hurdle. On board Henry de Bromhead’s Honeysuckle, Blackmore thundered across the finish line, leading the chase by six and a half lengths.

As well as her milestone triumph, Blackmore added a further five wins to her tally across the four days at the festival, seeing her crowned the first ever female winner of the Ruby Walsh Trophy for leading Cheltenham jockey.

During a time where all sporting events were played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, athletes and teams struggled without the backing of their supporters.

But for Blackmore — a humble competitor who lets her racing do the talking — she capitalised on the lack of distractions.

“I really felt the pressure before last year’s Cheltenham but then the race week started and we could finally stop talking, it just felt different, especially with no fans,” she reflected.

“From a jockeys’ perspective you try not to get too wrapped up in it but it’s hard in a normal year, there’s nowhere like Cheltenham in our sport. Being behind closed doors probably made it a bit easier, it meant it was just me and the horses.”

Blackmore’s six winning runs at Cheltenham made her a household name — not just within racing but beyond.

Blackmore’s story didn’t stop at Cheltenham either. A month later, she once again took a hammer to the glass ceiling with her success at the Grand National in Aintree.

On board Minella Times, another de Bromhead superstar, the Irish trailblazer beat the competition to be crowned