Katie Walsh salutes ‘absolutely brilliant' Rachael Blackmore
Blessed with supreme talent, Walsh believes every highlight of Blackmore's glittering career has been thoroughly deserved after she brought the curtain down with one final winner for long-time ally Henry de Bromhead at Cork on Saturday.
Walsh told the PA news agency: 'Every opportunity she was given, she grabbed with two hands and she had a marvellous career.
'She would do very little wrong and all she would do is get better and better and better. She always had her homework done and knew exactly what she was doing.
'Her Cheltenham Festival winners were provided by Willie Mullins and Henry de Bromhead and to think she had the support of the champion trainer and another right at the top of the game was testament to her ability – and she also had an association with plenty of the big owners like Gigginstown.
'She had a great way of reading races, she was strong both physically and mentally and would line up there with the best of them every day of the week and she was just an inspiration as a human being, she was just absolutely brilliant.'
It was once Walsh herself and contemporary Nina Carberry who were seen as the trailblazers for women in the weighing room, but Blackmore's achievements have rewritten the record books and surpassed the stellar accomplishments of her predecessors.
The 35-year-old bows out with 18 Cheltenham Festival victories and as well as her historic Gold Cup triumph aboard A Plus Tard in 2022, is amongst a select number of riders to have held aloft all four trophies of jump racing's blue riband, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, Champion Hurdle and Stayers' Hurdle.
Katie Walsh finished third in the Grand National aboard Seabass (David Davies/PA)
Blackmore also eclipsed Walsh's then third-placed record finish by a female in the Grand National when becoming the first woman jockey in the 182-year history of the Aintree marathon to win the race aboard Minella Times in 2021, with Walsh highlighting a supreme dedication to her craft which allowed glass ceilings to be shattered.
Walsh continued: 'It's been great to witness some of those great days and she's a star person and a perfect example to any young jockey starting out in the game – if you do what Rachael Blackmore does and you are good enough, success will come.
'She was extremely dedicated and worked very, very hard and you don't get anywhere in this industry without working hard – and that's what she did.
'She is a lovely person and she never changed a bit from the moment she started to the moment she finished and I'm delighted she gets to retire on her own terms.'
Blackmore was once the Pony Club protege who became an unintentional superstar of sport, but despite somewhat humble beginnings, her record is backed to stand the test of time, with Walsh – whose brother Ruby is one of the most decorated riders of all time – feeling her name is more than worthy of being mentioned amongst the greats of racing.
Rachael Blackmore celebrates on A Plus Tard after winning the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (David Davies/PA)
'I can't see anyone in my lifetime that might surpass Rachael's achievements,' added Walsh.
'At this moment in time, there is nobody, but that's not to say that someone won't come through – you would not have predicted this would happen 10 or 15 years ago.
'Who knows and that's the beauty of it, but I'm just glad I was there for it and saw it all from the start to the finish – and in years to come, if no one else does come along, I can say I remember Rachael Blackmore and I know how her story started and how it finished.'
There have also been tributes paid from the world of Flat racing, where Hollie Doyle – fresh from passing Hayley Turner to become the most successful British female jockey at Ascot on Saturday – assessed the incomparable legacy Blackmore leaves and the impact she has had on the sport as a whole.
Leading Flat jockey Hollie Doyle has praised Rachael Blackmore (Mike Egerton/PA)
'She's obviously been a huge trailblazer and she's just a great jockey,' said Doyle.
'What she's done for everyone in racing really has been great and it's been a great lift really over the last few years to have someone like her do what she's done.
'She's done it all, hasn't she? She's ticked every box and I suppose shut down any questions that were asked. I think it's even harder in National Hunt racing and she has done it all.
'Henry de Bromhead has obviously been a great supporter and gave her the ammunition, but she's been a great jockey and I think she's proved a lot of people wrong.'
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