Tag: rachel blackmore

Irish Jockey Rachel Blackmore Voted BBC’s World Sport Star Of The Year

Irish jockey Rachael Blackmore has been voted BBC Sports Personality's World Sport Star of the Year for 2021.

The 32-year-old became the first female rider to win the Grand National at Aintree with victory on 11-1 chance Minella Times in April. No other woman had ever finished in the first two of the famous steeplechase.

Blackmore also became the first woman to be leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival in March, where she racked up six victories.

She said receiving the World Sport Star award was “unbelievable”.

“The support has been incredible. I got such a kick out of being on that list of nominees. This is just incredible,” she added.

“My dreams were so big, but [this year] far surpassed anything I could have ever imagined.

“The reaction has been brilliant, I feel very privileged to have had the year I've had.”

The previous best by a female rider in the National was Katie Walsh's third place finish in 2012. Women were not permitted to ride in the race until 1977, and in total, only 19 female jockeys have competed.

Topping an online public vote, Blackmore beat off competition from Mexican boxer Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, American football quarterback Tom Brady, Serbia's world number one tennis player Novak Djokovic, Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah, and Dutch Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen.

The 2020 winner of the award was Russian UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov.

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Rachel Blackmore To Contend For BBC SPOTY World Sport Star Award

The first female jockey to claim the Cheltenham Festival Leading Jockey title, including a Champion Hurdle win aboard Honeysuckle, Rachel Blackmore is the leading fancy for this year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year World Sport Star award. According to the Irish Independent, voting for the award opened on Monday at bbc.com and will close at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 14.

The award will be presented during the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show live on BBC One on Sunday, Dec. 19.

Also in 2021, Blackmore became the first woman to ride the winner of the iconic Grand National with her success on Minella Times. Prior to Blackmore's win, the closest a female jockey had come to winning the world's most famous steeplechase race was Katie Walsh's third on Seabass in 2012.

In her post-race interview, Blackmore told the world: “I don't feel male or female right now, I don't even feel human. This is just unbelievable.”

Blackmore will be awarded the 2021 Irish Racing Hero Award at the annual Horse Racing Ireland Awards in December.

Other nominees for the 2021 BBC World Sport Star award include: boxing champion Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, American football's Tom Brady, tennis' Novak Djokovic, five-time Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah, and Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen.

Read more at the Independent.

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‘Incredible’ Honeysuckle Wins 13th Straight Race Under Rachel Blackmore

Henry de Bromhead's superstar mare Honeysuckle extended her unbeaten run to a lucky 13 with a third consecutive Hatton's Grace Hurdle victory.
For the third year in succession, Rachael Blackmore guided the 7-year-old home at her favorite Fairyhouse by eight lengths to kickstart her season in style in the headline Grade 1 race on Sunday.

The heavy favorite watched on as Willie Mullins' Stormy Island did all the early running, but the unbeaten Champion Hurdler and queen of National Hunt racing had it sewn up by the third last.

After claiming the BARONERACING.COM Hatton's Grace Hurdle, De Bromhead said: “I'm delighted with that, Rachael was brilliant on her and they are just a lethal combination, in fairness to them.

“She was really psyched before the race, she was trying to bite and kick and the only one who was getting away with it was me, actually.

“She probably gave me a fright last year so we might have done a little bit more this year for it, but when you've only so many runs – with a lot of mine I'd let them progress, but she was pretty straight.

“She's an incredible mare and to be associated with her is amazing. The reception she's got from everyone here is incredible.

“I'm at the stage now where I tell myself 'she's going to get beaten this time'. I'm nervous before she runs but we're so lucky to have her as well. I had convinced myself all week that she was going to get beaten.”

Honeysuckle made it a magnificent seven out of seven wins in races at Fairyhouse and De Bromhead indicated she would be heading for the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown next.

He added: “I think it will be the Irish Champion Hurdle next, touch wood she'll be OK. That route has worked before so we can back off her for a few weeks now, we haven't really discussed anything after today.

“It's fantastic to have [owner] Kenny (Alexander) and his family over today and it's amazing.”

De Bromhead lauded “brilliant” Blackmore for not letting Stormy Ireland get too far out ahead after Mullins' horse bolted to the front of the field virtually from the off.

The win came as Honeysuckle stepped back up in trip having not raced over 2m4f since winning this contest last year, and De Bromhead reiterated just how lucky he feels to have her under his command.

He added: “We have run her on quicker ground, in her maiden hurdle, but it was safe today.

“They were racing from a long way out. Stormy Ireland went a right gallop and we saw at Punchestown last year, you wouldn't want her getting too far in front but Rachael was aware.

“She (Stormy Ireland) stopped quite quickly, so then I was looking for the dangers behind. I just have to try to remember how brilliant Rachael is and try not to worry as much. How lucky are we to be associated with her.”

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Historic Grand National Win Still Hasn’t Sunk In For Jockey Rachel Blackmore

Rachel Blackmore made history over the weekend as the first female jockey to win the Grand National at Aintree, piloting 11-1 chance Minella Times across the wire first on Saturday. Prior to Blackmore's win, the closest a female jockey had come to winning the world's most famous steeplechase race was Katie Walsh's third on Seabass in 2012.

In her post-race interview, Blackmore told the world: “I don't feel male or female right now, I don't even feel human. This is just unbelievable.”

Blackmore told BBC Sport on Tuesday that the victory still hasn't really sunk in.

“It's been such a whirlwind since it happened,” the jockey said. “I haven't really processed the fact that I have won the Aintree Grand National. I've watched the replay a few times – but it's still just hard to comprehend it all.”

She added that the gender disparity hasn't been a major issue for her in her career as a jockey.

“For me in racing it's been extremely level,” Blackmore told BBC Sport. “I think the achievements of Nina Carberry and Katie Walsh, when I entered the weighing room were so big that the gender thing was never an issue.

“I've just carried that forward. For me personally it's never been an experience I have had in racing in recent times, and that's something that racing should be very proud of.”

Female jockeys were first allowed to enter the Grand National in 1975, when the Sex Discrimination Act was passed. Blackmore is the 20th female jockey to compete in the race.

Read more at BBC Sport.

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