Rachael Blackmore chasing history as she bids for Grand National repeat

First, she won races that no female jockey had won before. Next, she crossed off career-defining achievements for any rider, in any generation. And on Saturday, when she rides Minella Times in the Grand National at Aintree, Rachael Blackmore could move on to the once-a-century stuff.

Tony McCoy, in 1997, was the last jockey before Blackmore to win the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup at the same Cheltenham Festival, so it is 25 years since there has been any need to delve through National Hunt’s history books, to confirm whether a jockey has ever won the Grand National too in the same season.

Go right back to the sport’s earliest days, when the Champion Hurdle itself was in its infancy, and you will find that the answer is one: Tommy Cullinan, in 1930, who completed the set of jumping’s crown jewels at Aintree on Shaun Goilin, a chance ride after his original mount, the great Easter Hero, picked up an injury.

Ninety-two years later, and in a far more competitive era, Blackmore is nine-and-a-half minutes away from completing a quickfire treble that has eluded National Hunt’s greatest riders ever since. And if Minella Times can reprise his winning performance 12 months ago – becoming only the fourth dual winner since 1899 in the process – a full house of 70,000 spectators will be at Aintree to give horse and rider the reception they deserve.

It was an eerie and, in all honesty, a somewhat deflating experience to witness Blackmore’s historic success in front of empty grandstands 12 months ago. More than any other race, the Grand National is about the shared experience, for those at the course and the hundreds of millions watching around the world. Without the noise and delirious excitement that takes over as the 40 runners line