She is already a Randox Grand National history-maker but Rachael Blackmore is ‘very excited’ to see if she can add further glory now she’s back at Aintree.
The 32-year-old Tipperary-born rider became the first female jockey to win the world’s greatest steeplechase, when she scored aboard the Henry De Bromhead-trained Minella Times 12 months ago. She also achieved firsts at the Cheltenham Festival including Champion Hurdle wins on Honeysuckle and Gold Cup glory on A Plus Tard.
But on Saturday she will partner Minella Times again bidding to become the ninth dual winner of the race and emulate the most recent, Tiger Roll (2018, 2019), to claim back-to-back victories in the Aintree showpiece. But things are very much different this time around with her nine-year-old partner carrying 21lbs more than last year and being 15lb higher in the handicap – as well as being out of form in his two runs this season.
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But speaking at Aintree Racecourse, Blackmore can’t wait to renew the partnership and remains hopeful of putting up a real fight to retain the Grand National crown. She said: “I’m very excited and it’s great to be here. The track looks great and I’m just really looking forward to it kicking off.
“Having top-weight is not ideal but that’s the situation we’re in. He’s in great form at home and Laura (Hoey) who rides him out is very happy with him. His runs this year have been disappointing, but he really does seem in great form now and Henry (de Bromhead, trainer) is extremely happy with him so we’re really looking forward to it.
“Henry found a few niggly problems with him and he’s sorted them out and he’s in top form at home now and schooling well and seems in great nick. We couldn’t be happier with him in that sense coming into the race. I worked him probably two weeks ago now and he felt super.
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“To me he’s one of those horses who just likes Aintree, he really enjoyed it last year and jumped from fence to fence and that has to be a big plus. The weight is the weight and there’s no point me getting too cut up about that, because that’s the situation and we’ll be going out giving it our best shot.
“It’s a race that as everyone knows you need a lot of luck in, and we got plenty of that last year so hopefully we get some more this year. It’s a big help knowing he enjoys it here.
"Last year after I jumped the first two fences I knew he was going to take to them. He was always an exceptional jumper at home and I’d got some great spins off him before we came over last year, so I was always hoping he’d take to it but I suppose you don’t know until you try it because these fences are a unique challenge. He really enjoyed it last year so hopefully we get a similar spin around and who knows what will happen?
“It’s hard to imagine what winning it again would feel like until it actually happens to be honest. It would be a phenomenal performance with the weight he has, but we’ll just see what happens. He was fantastic last year and he is a very enjoyable horse to ride, so I’m very much looking forward to getting back on board.”
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Minella Times has been well-backed in the lead-up to the big day and having been 16-1 earlier in the week is vying for favouritism with the Charlie Longsdon-trained Becher Chase heroine Snow Leopardess, last year’s third Any Second Now, from Grand National-winning stable of Ted Walsh, and Gordon Elliott’s recent Cheltenham Festival Delta Work.
But Blackmore knows how difficult a challenge it is to ride in the Grand National, from start to finish. She said: “The start is a bit chaotic, obviously, with 40 horses down there.
"Usually there’s a couple of rules that jockeys try and abide by but they all seem to go out the window at the start of the National. There’s just so many of us and everyone’s just trying to keep things calm so we don’t have a false start and you’re just trying to get a position so you can see what happens.
“The Grand National does have a different feel to it – there’s so many variables and so many different things that can happen. So I don’t think owners or trainers can really tie jockeys down to major plans – you just have to ride as it comes.
"There’s plenty of unlucky stories in the Grand National because there are so many runners, with people getting in each other’s way and that kind of things, but it’s great to be coming to Aintree on the back of a good Cheltenham.”
Whatever happens this time, Blackmore will always look back fondly on last year’s success. Reflecting on partnering the JP McManus-owned gelding 12 months ago, she added: “It’s very cool walking in and seeing some of the pictures up from last year and that kind of thing, it brings back good memories. There were not too many people walking about when I came in as it was lashing with rain!
“You just can’t compare that feeling of crossing the line (in the Grand National) – it was just a phenomenal feeling and it’s a race that every kid wants to ride in. When you’re growing up, this is the race that captures your imagination and it’s just very special to be able to say that you’ve won it. I’ve definitely seen the replay of last year’s race more times than I can count!
“There’s definitely a massive global reach that the Randox Grand National has and I really felt that after last year. The media attention after Cheltenham last year was massive, but after the Grand National it just seemed to explode again. It seems to reach parts of the world that no other races do.
“That’s the kind of reach that the Grand National has – it reaches different parts of the globe and I suppose it was tricky last year as the whole country was in lockdown, so we weren’t doing the same kind of things that we would ordinarily be doing coming back after a Grand National win.
“When you go into a random clothes shop in Dublin and you’re dressed in normal clothes and someone comes up to you – that is mad. It’s one thing people coming up to you at the races because you’re dressed like a jockey and people can place you, but the odd time you’re in a situation like that is something that didn’t happen 12 months ago.”
This year will be very different to last, not least because there will be 70,000 spectators cheering the 40 runners on after the 2021 renewal was behind-closed-doors due to coronavirus restritcions in place at the time. And Blackmore will also have family and friends close by this time.
She said: “My mum and sister are coming over on Saturday morning and they’re really looking forward to it, so it will be great to have them here and there are plenty of friends as well that are coming too. It’s a great three days of racing and I’m really looking forward to it.”
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Blackmore has been receiving fan mail for almost all of the past 12 months since her exploits at Aintree last year. She said: “I’ve got loads of fan mail since last year, from both girls and boys.
"A lot of times I know the teacher in school is setting out an assignment of writing to someone you admire as I get a bundle of letters – so it’s obviously on the school curriculum somewhere! It’s brilliant and it’s great that it’s sparking an interest in kids and hopefully that helps them.
“I don’t think I ever picked up a pen and wrote a letter to anyone or anything like that – my primary school has a lot to answer for! – but when I was younger it was probably Istabraq and Charlie Swan who were the first that I remember looking up to. He was a local horse and I remember going to see him with my school, so that was probably the first spark for me in to having an interest in racing.
“Sonia O’Sullivan (who won Gold for Ireland at the 1995 Athletics Word Championships) was someone else I looked up to, I remember watching her as a kid and kids just look up to anyone who’s doing well, I suppose.”
After last year’s victory, it was revealed that Blackmore and fellow jockeys Patrick Mullins and Brian Hayes, who is also her partner, had said the night before the National that if any of them triumped in the race they would have to pay for a trip to Las Vegas.
That has happened yet, but Blackmore admitted it is something she will have to do at some point. She explained: “They haven’t let me forget, don’t worry! We haven’t had a conversation about this year, but double or quits is a good idea! They haven’t forgotten and they will probably end up booking the flights at the most expensive time to go there!”
