Rachael Blackmore made history when she became the first woman to win the Grand National last year. She will return to Aintree on Saturday with Minella Times to try and record consecutive victories in the famous race.
But if history is anything to go by, the 32-year-old faces a mammoth task and is unlikely to achieve the feat. In the race’s long and esteemed history, very few jockeys have won the Grand National two years on the trot while riding the same horse.
History suggests that a jockey is more likely to win the race in consecutive years by riding two different horses. That is what happened to Leighton Aspell, who triumphed in 2014 on Pineau de Re and emerged victorious on Many Clouds the following year.
