Rachael Blackmore on Tuesday became the first female jockey to win the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, riding Honeysuckle to an historic victory in front of empty stands.
The sun shone as the favorite romped home by six-and-a-half lengths — the mare’s 11th win in 11 races.
The win for Blackmore and Honeysuckle is a much-needed shot in the arm for racing after shocking pictures emerged of leading Irish trainer Gordon Elliott sitting on a dead horse.
Photo: AFP
The trainer, three-time winner of the Grand National, was earlier this month banned by racing authorities for one year — six months of which are suspended.
However, the sport took center stage at the Cheltenham Festival, as Blackmore made headlines for the right reasons.
“To me, this was never even a dream,” said the 31-year-old Irish jockey, who rode her first winner in 2011 as an amateur, before turning professional in 2015.
“It was so far from what I ever thought could happen in my life — to be in Cheltenham, riding a winner of a Champion Hurdle,” she added.
Blackmore made light of her history-making achievement on the first day of the event — the highlight of the jump-racing calendar.
“It doesn’t matter what you are,” she said. “We are jockeys. It is just a privilege to be here.”
Former top Irish amateur jockey Katie Walsh said that Blackmore’s achievement was special.
“Absolutely brilliant,” she told the BBC. “I just think it is brilliant. She deserves this so much. She works hard and it is history. She has brought it [female riding] to another level.”
Last year, Cheltenham attracted a barrage of criticism after the event went ahead with crowds of about 50,000 per day for the four-day extravaganza, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in Britain.
This time round, due to strict COVID-19 protocols in place, there are no crowds present, not even owners, on the racecourse in southwest England.
Ian Renton, regional director of The Jockey Club, which owns Cheltenham Racecourse, said that it was crucial for the event to go ahead, even without spectators.
“For the racing community, it is so important that it goes on,” he said. “For owners, trainers, jockeys, stable staff — their livelihoods rely on the meeting. It is the showcase for the sport.”
Badminton world No. 3 Anders Antonsen clinched his first Indonesia Open title yesterday after beating Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen, while South Korea’s An Se-young won her second championship in Jakarta. The 28-year-old Dane sank world No. 7 Chou at the Indonesian capital’s Istora Senayan arena, winning 22-20, 21-14 in a 60-minute match to secure the prestigious Super 1000 event. Antonsen came out on top in a tightly contested first game before cruising to victory in the second. In a more closely fought women’s singles final, South Korean ace and world No. 1 An fought back from one game down to beat China’s
‘STILL’: In front of a packed New Jersey arena attended by Donald Trump and Mike Tyson, UFC 316 delivered high drama as Merab Dvalishvili retained his title Georgia’s Merab Dvalishvili scored a second-round submission win over Sean O’Malley to retain his bantamweight title at Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 316 on Saturday, with Kayla Harrison also winning by submission in the co-main event, tapping out Juliana Pena to claim the women’s bantamweight crown. In front of a packed crowd at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, which included US President Donald Trump and retired heavyweight great Mike Tyson, Dvalishvili, a 34-year-old from the country of Georgia, won the belt in a convincing, although not aesthetically pleasing, unanimous decision. Dvalishvili (19-4) sat on top of the cage and shouted
Manchester City on Monday completed the signing of left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a reported ￡31 million (US$41.8 million). The 24-year-old Algeria international has signed a five-year contract and will be available for the FIFA Club World Cup, which begins later this week. Ait-Nouri is expected to be just one of a trio of new City faces for that tournament with deals close to completion for AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and Olympique Lyonnais playmaker Rayan Cherki. After missing out on a major trophy in the recently completed season for the first time since 2016-2017, City are hoping
Hulking Italian sprinter Jonathan Milan on Monday surged away from the pack to win the second stage of the Criterium de Dauphine in Issoire, France, to take the overall lead from Tadej Pogacar. The 1.93m, 87kg Milan had to battle to keep up on a hilly 204.6km run through central France from Premilhat. When the pack hit the home straight, he rocketed away from his rivals to collect a 10-second victory bonus and the yellow jersey. “That was really tough,” Milan said. “I was dropped at one point, and I was really on the limit, but I have to say
RSS