Jockey Rachael Blackmore calls time on a glittering riding career
Rachael Blackmore has retired as the most successful female jockey in horse racing history. Photo: INPHO/Tom Maher
Leading jump jockey Rachael Blackmore, who was stable jockey to Waterford trainer Henry de Bromhead, has announced her retirement from the saddle with immediate effect after riding her final winner at Cork aboard The Tipperary native took the racing world by storm when she became the first female jockey to win the English Grand National aboard the de Bromhead trained Minella Times in 2021 before going onto win the Gold Cup the following year on A Plus Tard.
Blackmore, who started her career with Carlow trainer Shark Hanlon, where she had her first winner on Stowaway Pearl at Thurles in 2011, made the move to Knockeen back in 2018 where A Plus Tard became her first Cheltenham winner in the Close Brothers Novices Chase a year later.
After landing her first Grade One success at the same festival on Minella Indo in the Albert Bartlett Novices hurdle, she was most recognised with the partnership that she struck up with one of the greatest ever hurdling mares, Honeysuckle, who gave her a first Irish Grade One in the Mares hurdle at Fairyhouse.
Blackmore and Honeysuckle would go on to be a match made in heaven as they landed the 2021 Champion Hurdle where her six winners across the four days of the Covid Festival saw her land the leading jockey award.
One of her biggest moments in the saddle came in the English Grand National in April 2021 when she partnered the JP McManus-owned and Henry de Bromhead-trained Minella Times to become the first female rider to land the biggest steeplechase in the world.
She went on to land back-to-back Champion Hurdles with Honeysuckle in 2022 before riding the mare in her final Cheltenham win when landing the David Nicholason Mares hurdle for a second time in 2023 after first winning it in 2020.
She won the Champion Chase on Captain Guinness for Team Knockeen back in 2024 with her final Cheltenham Festival win coming this year on Bob Olinger – a three-time festival winner for Blackmore as part of Thursday double last March.
Blackmore was named the Irish Times World Sportswoman of the year winner in 2021, whilst also winning the RTÉ Sports Person of the Year and the BBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year accolade in the same year.
Her final ride in the saddle proved to be a winning one as she rode Mo Belle Etoile to victory for her boss at Cork on Saturday before announcing her retirement from the saddle.
In a statement, Blackmore said: “My days of being a jockey have come to an end. I feel the time is right. I’m sad, but I’m also incredibly grateful for what my life has been for the past 16 years. I just feel so lucky to have been legged up on the horses I have, and to have experienced success I never even dreamt could be possible.
“The people to thank are endless, it’s not possible to mention everyone (as I don’t want this to be another book) but I’m going to get a few names in here anyway and to everyone else, you know who you are, as they say.
“Firstly, my parents who provided me with the best childhood, and a pony I couldn’t hold! This set the seed for a life of racing. Aidan Kennedy gave me my first ride in a point-to-point. I spent time riding out for Arthur Moore and Pat Doyle, which I loved. Sam Curling and Liam Lennon were also big supporters, as was Denise O’Shea, John Nicholson, Ellmarie Holden, Harry Smyth, and Gigginstown House Stud.
“I rode my first winner for Shark Hanlon, who then helped me become Champion Conditional. I will be forever grateful to Shark for getting behind me, supporting me, and believing in me when it would have been just as easy to look elsewhere. He was the catalyst for what was to come.
Blackmore also paid tribute to Henry de Bromhead, “A conversation between Eddie O’Leary and Henry de Bromhead in a taxi on the way to Aintree took my career to a whole new level. Eddie got me in the door at Knockeen, and what came next was unimaginable: Honeysuckle, A Plus Tard, Minella Indo, Captain Guinness, Bob Olinger, Minella Times, among many others... all with one thing in common-Henry de Bromhead. He’s a phenomenal trainer who brought out the best in me. Without Henry, my story is very different.
“To my sponsors over the years. Dornan, KPMG, Volvo, Betfair, and PCI Insurance, thank you for your support. To Garry Cribbin, who looked after me as my agent since day one with professionalism and friendship. To Rebecca Matthews, who managed (and hopefully will continue to manage!) the non-horse-related requests. To Willie Mullins, who provided me with success throughout my career.
“To all the team in Knockeen who do such incredible work looking after all the horses, without you and all the stable staff across the country, winners don’t happen. To Davy Roche, whose help was invaluable when I was privileged enough to have a choice in a race.”
Blackmore also had a message for her partner, Brian Hayes. “To all the amazing doctors, surgeons, and physios who looked after me over the years. To all the wonderful owners who trusted me and gave me the opportunity to do what I love doing. To everyone I shared the weigh room with, I’ll miss being in there with you. To all my great friends, you made winning special. Brian Hayes won’t enjoy getting a mention, but he was more important to my career than I’ll ever be able to thank him for.
It is daunting, not being able to say that I am a jockey anymore... who even am I now! But I feel so incredibly lucky to have had the career I’ve had. To have been in the right place at the right time with the right people, and to have gotten on the right horses, because it doesn’t matter how good you are without them. They have given me the best days of my life, and to them I am most grateful."
