Rachael Blackmore's won €862m less than world's richest jockey before retiring
Rachael Blackmore has hung up her riding boots, announcing her retirement from horse racing on Monday. She leaves behind a sparkling legacy, having etched her name in history as the first woman to triumph in the Grand National back in 2021 and then again making headlines the next year as the first female victor of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
At 35, Blackmore has notched up an impressive 18 wins at the Cheltenham Festival alone, yet she believes "the time is right" to step away from the sport, especially after a neck injury last year forced her to take a three-month hiatus. Her final ride was a winning one, aboard Ma Belle Etoile in Cork this past Saturday.
Blackmore's career has been nothing short of iconic, with winnings totalling around €11million, a figure that, while impressive, is dwarfed by the earnings of jockeys worldwide, particularly in Japan where fortunes in racing are vast.
Yutaka Take, a legend in his own right in Japan, may not be a household name in Britain, but his staggering €873m in prize money speaks volumes of his success. He reigns supreme over Japanese racing, boasting the most accolades in the nation's racing history, with prestigious events like the Japan Cup, Arima Kinen, and Tenno Sho offering hefty multi-million-pound rewards.
With over 4,500 race victories, Take has achieved celebrity status, reports the Express.
Take's most notable UK victory came in the July Cup in 2000 aboard Agnes World, and he has also clinched significant wins in France, Hong Kong, Dubai, and Australia, showcasing his international prowess.
Remarkably, 28 of the world's top 50 highest-earning jockeys hail from Japan. They dominate the top four spots, a testament to the country's racing culture and the near invincibility of its homegrown stars on their own turf.
Norihiro Yokoyama is hot on Take's heels in second place on the jockey rich list, raking in £465m after an impressive 2,964 victories. Last year, at the ripe age of 56, he clinched the Japanese Derby, becoming the oldest jockey in Japan to win a Grade I race.
Yuichi Fukunaga secures third place with earnings of £424m following 2,636 wins. In 2024, Fukunga effectively hung up his riding boots after being granted a training license, transitioning to a new role while preserving his legendary status in horse racing.
Masayoshi Ebina rounds out the top four with £382m earned, largely due to his iconic partnership with El Condor Pasa.
Blackmore may lag behind the Japanese quartet in terms of earnings, but her impact on the sport over her 16-year career is beyond measure.
She bagged the BBC's Sports Personality's World Sport Star of the Year for 2021 after her groundbreaking victory at Aintree; her triumph will undoubtedly have sparked dreams in a new generation of female jockeys.
Her historic Grand National win was viewed by an estimated 500 million people worldwide, catapulting women's success in horse racing to unprecedented heights. She'll be remembered as a trailblazer, and walking away with several millions in the bank isn't half bad either.
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