Henry de Bromhead on Rachael Blackmore: 'She'll be amazing at whatever she does'
Trainer Henry de Bromhead has revealed the role a conversation in the back of a taxi played in Rachael Blackmore becoming his most trusted ally, with the pair's fortunes rising in tandem to achieve stratospheric levels of success.
On Monday, Blackmore announced her retirement from the saddle at the age of 35 after a remarkable career.
The Tipperary woman's feats have often been framed in the context of female jockeys, with Blackmore becoming the first of her sex to win the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2021 on board Honeysuckle, a meeting where she was also crowned leading rider, and going on to claim the Grand National weeks later on Minella Times in an annus mirabilis.
Blackmore's success on Bob Olinger in this season's Stayers' Hurdle saw her complete a Cheltenham Festival grand slam of championship races, joining Ruby Walsh and Barry Geraghty as the only jockeys to have booted him the winners of the Champion Hurdle, the Champion Chase, the Stayers' Hurdle and the Gold Cup during their illustrious careers.
Her 18th and final Festival success on Bob Olinger (above) also elevated her to joint-ninth, alongside Richard Dunwoody, in the all-time winners record at the meeting.
Reflecting on the news of Blackmore's retirement from his Knockeen base in County Waterford, De Bromhead told listeners of Tuesday's Morning Ireland on RTÉ: "It was a bit of a surprise yesterday when she came in and said it to me.
"I know it wasn't an easy decision for her, but I'm delighted for her. She seems really happy about it.
"As is the norm with Rachael, her timing is incredible. It's probably when everyone least expected it.
"It's the end of one chapter of her life and she's got so much more to do, but I've no doubt she'll be amazing at whatever she does."
In the nascent stages of her career, there was little to suggest the success Blackmore would go on to enjoy.
In the past, the rider herself has been self-effacing on her early efforts in the saddle, with her first winner under Rules coming at the comparatively late age of 21 on the Shark Hanlon-trained Stowaway Pearl at Thurles in 2011.
However, the association with Hanlon (above) gave Blackmore the literal and figurative leg up that was to prove the catalyst in her career, even if her success story was to prove far from an overnight one.
With the backing and encouragement of Hanlon, Blackmore turned professional on St Patrick's Day in 2015. It had been 25 years since a female rider had featured in the paid ranks in Ireland, with Maria Cullen the last woman to ride as a pro.
The move followed a barren spell where Blackmore hadn't ridden a winner in six months and her first success as a professional didn't arrive until Most Honourable prevailed at Clonmel in September of that year.
However, her career finally exploded into life during the 2016-17 season and she was crowned champion conditional rider at the age of 27 after booting home 32 winners.
Blackmore rode her first winner in the maroon and white silks of Gigginstown House Stud in 2017 and Eddie O'Leary of the organisation extolled her virtues as he shared a taxi with De Bromhead to Aintree's Grand National meeting in 2018.
"We had no stable jockey and we were just using the best available, and Eddie suggested trying Rachael. She'd ridden a good bit for them," De Bromhead explained.
"She had one or two rides for me, but she'd ridden a good bit for Gigginstown and she'd just been champion conditional and said we'd give it a go – I really liked her profile and obviously had seen her riding all these winners.
"There was no fixed job or anything. She just started riding for us and she just kept winning. Everyone wanted her after that and it went from strength to strength from there.
"I don't think either of us ever thought that we'd achieve what we did together.
"We've had some amazing times, but she's so much more to us – me and my family – than a jockey.
"She is an amazing person and I'm delighted to see her go out on her terms."
The trainer tragically lost his 13-year-old son, Jack, in a pony racing accident in September 2022.
Six months later, Honeysuckle's (above) illustrious career came to a fairytale conclusion at Prestbury Park as the two-time Champion Hurdle winner bowed out with an emotional success in the Mares' Hurdle.
"That was a big day for all of us, including her," De Bromhead admitted. "There was a lot of pressure and it was the mare's last run.
"Personally and professionally it had been a really tough time, and it was amazing how she pulled it off with Honeysuckle.
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