logo
Rachael Blackmore retires as a pioneering trailblazer who broke new ground

Rachael Blackmore retires as a pioneering trailblazer who broke new ground

Daughter of a dairy farmer and a school teacher, Blackmore became an unintentional trailblazer as she racked up an ever-expanding list of firsts during what has been an exceptional time in the weighing room.
She had to earn her own leg-up on the pony racing circuit which has seen so many before her cut their teeth. But she also competed in other equestrian events and studied for a degree in equine science at the University of Limerick, with her mother, Eimir, encouraging her to pursue her studies as she felt a full-time riding career was unlikely.
Blackmore rode her first amateur winner for John 'Shark' Hanlon at Thurles in February 2011, and it was he who encouraged her to make the leap. He provided her with a first professional victory, too, at Clonmel on September 3, 2015.
By her own admission, Blackmore was an "extremely average" amateur and felt the best way to change her outlook was to turn professional in search of more rides and in turn more success.
Her hardworking attitude was duly rewarded when she was crowned champion Irish conditional in 2017 - her first first - a year which would prove pivotal as having ridden regularly for Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown House Stud, his racing manager and brother, Eddie, recommended Blackmore to trainer Henry de Bromhead while in the back of a taxi on the way to Aintree.
And so one of racing's most successful partnerships was born.
The duo enjoyed a plethora of big-race success together, but Blackmore's headline victories can be distilled to three horses to hail from the Knockeen yard - Honeysuckle, A Plus Tard and Minella Times.
That is not to demean the likes of other Festival heroes such Captain Guinness, Bob Olinger, Envoi Allen, Quilixios et al or any of Blackmore's other glories, it just that particular trio has obliged on the very grandest of stages.
Her relationship with Honeysuckle spanned the first of the mare's 19 races to her last, with De Bromhead describing the duo as "a perfect storm" of Blackmore's brilliance and Honeysuckle's "deadly" talent.
Their Champion Hurdle triumph in 2021 marked a breakthrough for a female rider in a Festival showpiece, though De Bromhead was quick to underline that Blackmore's ability should not be viewed in gender terms - a sentiment echoed by the rider herself.
ADVERTISEMENT
She said at the time: "There's no deal about it. If you want to be a jockey, you can be a jockey. Drive on."
That was to become her theme as she continued to smash down the barriers, not least when achieving worldwide fame via Minella Times' Grand National victory, exclaiming: "I don't feel male or female - I don't even feel human! This is unbelievable."
It perhaps speaks volumes that by the time Blackmore won the Cheltenham Gold Cup aboard A Plus Tard the following year, while her sex remained the headline in the news pages, you had to read a few paragraphs down in the racing section before the fact it was a first win for a female rider was even mentioned.
Blackmore was merely seen by those in the know as one of the best in the weighing room, end of discussion.
The attention that went with superstar status did not always sit well with Blackmore, who is not one to naturally put herself forward, preferring to do her talking on the track.
Her mother hailed her determination and humility, adding: "Despite the successes, Rachael remains true to herself. It's no good having success if you aren't a decent human being".
Indeed, De Bromhead found Blackmore a huge support following the tragic death of his 13-year-old son, Jack, in a pony racing accident in September 2022.
He said: "To see her around when we had our tragedy, around the children and with their friends and all of us - she's an incredible person apart from being a brilliant jockey."
There was hardly a dry eye in the house when Honeysuckle signed off her fairytale career with Mares' Hurdle success just six months after the accident and Blackmore's first thought was for Jack after crossing the line, on what was a hugely emotional day all around.
It would be fair to say Blackmore has become a fan favourite, too, with no better illustration than the support that saw her 2023 Grand National mount Ain't That A Shame sent off at just 10-1 despite having only won a moderate beginners' chase and his owner Brian Acheson declaring him to be "useless".
An inspiration to plenty of young racing fans, whether she enjoys the tag or not, Blackmore bows out as a genuine game changer.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'We are not happy with this performance' - Hallgrimsson concerned by Ireland's inconsistency
'We are not happy with this performance' - Hallgrimsson concerned by Ireland's inconsistency

The 42

time3 hours ago

  • The 42

'We are not happy with this performance' - Hallgrimsson concerned by Ireland's inconsistency

HEIMIR HALLGRIMSSON DID not sugar-coat Ireland's performance after they were held to a 0-0 draw away to Luxembourg, saying his side did not match the effort they put in against Senegal in Dublin last Friday. 'Let's be honest, we are not happy with this performance', the Irish manager told RTE. 'It's good to keep a clean sheet but we felt first half we were sloppy, the game was boring, all the good things we did against Senegal was missing: all the quick movements, the press, the ball speed. 'In the second half we had more tempo, we won more duels, but it was not good enough. We like getting answers to questions but this was a negative one.' Advertisement Ireland will begin World Cup qualifying in September with a home game against second seeds Hungary before travelling to play bottom-ranked Armenia, and Hallgrimsson put the difference in Ireland's performance levels in that context. 'This is something we must learn from, we must play the same way against everyone, whether it's a friendly at the end of the season or a group stage game, we need to play the same way all the time. 'This can teach us a lesson. It is understandable players are thinking, 'after this game we have a break for a long time', and there were a few injuries from fatigue, and maybe they were a little bit careful as they don't want to be injured at the end of the season. 'Even if we had won the game we would not have been happy with the performance.' Asked by RTÉ to acknowledge the positives, including debutant goalkeeper Max O'Leary's clean sheet, Hallgrimsson quickly veered back to the negative side. 'We can always find something positive and we will do that, first and foremost, the effort we put into this game was so much less than against Senegal.' Midfielder Jason Knight said there was much for Ireland to improve. 'Obviously it wasn't the most comprehensive performance by any means', said Knight. 'Loads to work on out there. But a lot of change, a lot of new lads into the squad. I think there's definitely things to improve, definitely from tonight. But overall a decent camp and now everyone's looking forward to September. 'We had the chances. And we limited them to very few. Obviously on another day we probably scored two or three, but that's what we've got to improve. But like I say, loads to improve on, but loads of good stuff as well.'

Ireland round out the season with dreary draw away to Luxembourg
Ireland round out the season with dreary draw away to Luxembourg

The 42

time3 hours ago

  • The 42

Ireland round out the season with dreary draw away to Luxembourg

Luxembourg 0 Republic of Ireland 0 THIS BORE, END-OF-SEASON draw was just about the most passive mutual offering from Ireland and Luxembourg since they designed their respective tax regimes. Acknowledging that June friendlies are hardly havens for confidence or rich feeling, Ireland were desperately poor in the first-half, with their passing ragged and their energy levels low. They were much better after half-time, though, and were unfortunate not to grab a late winner when substitute Jack Taylor smashed a shot off the underside of the crossbar. They ultimately had to settle for a goalless draw, one which extends their unbeaten run to four games and does not seriously check their momentum going into September's World Cup qualifying campaign. Ireland, though, will have to play much better than this if they are to take enough points from the opening games against Hungary and Armenia to maintain an active interest in qualifying through to the final games in November. Heimir Hallgrimsson decided to reward the oft-travelling, rarely-seen Max O'Leary with a first Irish start, giving Caoimhín Kelleher a break. Jake O'Brien replaced Matt Doherty at right-back with Killian Phillips making his full senior debut in midfield, with Ryan Manning benched. Evan Ferguson – whose sharpness in training had impressed his manager – earned a start having come close to doing so on Friday, while Troy Parrott returned to lead the line. Ireland's shape was that to which we have become accustomed: a 4-4-2 without the ball that morphed into a fancier, 3-4-2-1 with the ball. Phillips dropped into deep midfield alongside Jason Knight with Will Smallbone freed up to play further forward. Among Ireland's first-half problems: their evolving formation got stuck in its larval, two-banks-of-four phase, such was Luxembourg's dominance of the ball. O'Leary was sharp to dive to his left to push Danel Sinani's long-range shot around the post, a move whose genesis was a clumsy lay-off by Ferguson to Phillips. Advertisement Hallgrimsson, growing increasingly frustrated, swapped Phillips and Smallbone's positions. That move was tantamount to tinkering around a crash site. Ireland's passing was awful, with players remonstrating with one another as moves continually broke down. An ugly problem from Ireland's last few years also reared its head, with Knight, Phillips and Smallbone looking rushed and uncomfortable when they were pressed in midfield by their opposite number. Troy Parrott contributed Ireland's best moment from open play shortly before half-time, when he controlled the ball and spun away from his aggressive marker, Eldin Džogović, who responded by kicking him in the calf. It was a rare moment of conviction from any Irish player. Smallbone floated the resultant free-kick to Dara O'Shea at the back post, whose square header was met by Nathan Collins, who stooped and headed the ball against the post. Ireland mercifully improved after half-time. Kasey McAteer hinted at the severity of the half-time message by quickly closing down and opponent to rob possession and then pull a left-footed shot wide of the far post. McAteer should have remained so single-minded a few minutes later, but rather than go for goal himself, he instead directed a free header from Ryan Manning's terrific deep cross back across goal for Parrott, who handled the ball amid a miscued effort to try and force the ball over the line. Jack Taylor and Festy Ebosele were sprung from the bench within 10 minutes of the restart and both combined for another chance, only for Taylor to pull a shot wide having been smartly picked out by Ebosele on the edge of the box. Ireland finally managed an effort on target shortly after, as Parrott ran in behind to collect McAteer's pass before lifting the ball delightfully over the onrushing goalkeeper. Parrott, alas, was too eager in making his run and had strayed offside. McAteer, now shifted to an inside-left role as opposed to standing out on the right wing, grew far more influential, but was also guilty of over-enthusiasm in taking an over-the-shoulder volley too early having been picked out by a ball over the top. His shot was tame and easy for Luxembourg's teenage goalkeeper. But alas as many of the Irish players improved around him, Evan Ferguson visibly waned; his lack of match minutes across the season becoming painfully evident. He was caught too often on his heels, most gallingly when Dara O'Shea played a risky pass through midfield that was intended for Ferguson, but intercepted by the much more alert Tomas Moreira, whom Ferguson pursued and then fouled. He was booked, and eventually withdrawn for Adam Idah with 15 minutes remaining. Taylor came agonisingly close to winning the game as the clock ticked out. First Parrott wriggled brilliantly along the endline to pull the ball back for Idah, whose heavy touch ended with the ball running out to Taylor on the edge of the box, who smashed a shot off the underside of the crossbar John Patrick came off the bench for a late senior debut, and showed some very neat touches, most obviously on the edge of his own box after Matt Doherty recovered brilliantly to snuff out a late Luxembourg counter. The Spanish-born midfielder will be among a handful of people on earth to remember this game. While Ireland will have to be vastly improved in September, the context of this game is enough to avoid ringing any alarm bells. Already without the bulk of their Championship contingent, the squad were carrying an accumulated fatigue that will not exist in three months' time. This season, after all, has been long and, er, taxing. Luxembourg: Tiago Pereira; Eldin Džogović, Laurent Jans (Michael Pinto, 62′), Seid Korac, Dirk Carlson; Leandro Barreiro, Tomas Moreira, Danel Sinani; Florian Bohnert (Vincent Thill, 62′) , Gerson Rodrigues (Eric Veiga, 82′), Aiman Dardari (Alessio Curci, 76′) Republic of Ireland: Max O'Leary; Jake O'Brien, Nathan Collins (captain), Dara O'Shea, Robbie Brady (Ryan Manning, 20′); Kasey McAteer (Matt Doherty, 75′), Jason Knight (John Patrick,90′), Will Smallbone (Jack Taylor, 55′), Killian Phillips (Festy Ebosele, 55′); Evan Ferguson (Adam Idah, 75′), Troy Parrott Referee: Stefan Ebner (Austria)

A game soon forgotten but it does pose the question: just what do we want from Ireland?
A game soon forgotten but it does pose the question: just what do we want from Ireland?

The 42

time3 hours ago

  • The 42

A game soon forgotten but it does pose the question: just what do we want from Ireland?

ON AN EVENING like this, for a friendly like this, when summer beckons and we all just want the League of Ireland to return on Friday and dream of potential European adventures to come, a fair question to ask is this: just what do we want from Ireland? Long before Troy Parrott's disallowed goal – a shame as the dinked finish was sublime – on 66 minutes it was a question to be considered, with thoughts splintering in different directions. Heimir Hallgrímsson has made it clear to his coaching staff and the players exactly what it is that he demands. We detailed as much during the 1-1 draw with Senegal, and then Dara O'Shea spoke afterwards offering just a little bit more insight ahead of this trip to Luxembourg. 'The manager is big on someone making a decision and then everyone else going with that,' the defender, who started once again alongside captain Nathan Collins, explained. 'That's the way he wants us to be. He's drilled that into us in the sessions and I think everyone buys into that. As soon as someone sets the press off you need to go with them or else it's not going to work.' On the eve of this friendly with Luxembourg, with Collins sitting alongside him, Hallgrímsson emphasised once more that he wanted to see consistency in the performance and stability with the team shape. He made five changes to his starting XI and was forced into another within 20 minutes when Ryan Manning replaced the injured Robbie Brady. But the message would have been the same. Ireland were content for Luxembourg to enjoy harmless possession – 61% over the opening half hour, dropping to 56% towards the end – with players scuttling from side to side and ensuring the distances between them didn't become too vast so as to allow passing lanes opening up in behind. And some of this brings us back to what it is we want from an Ireland team. For the 300 or so travelling fans they didn't get a goal to celebrate, substitute Jack Taylor smashing the crossbar on 87 minutes. Advertisement Watching on TV, as so often can be the case when attention spans drift, there was a chance for a kind of introspection. Some of the banners being held up in one section of the ground were a catalyst. 'Red card for violence against women,' was the English translation of one. In the corner of the screen, where an Irish tricolour with Ballybrack was emblazoned across the front, a few more messages stood out from the locals. 'Let's break the silence.' 'Football is political.' 'Red card to the football federation.' Indeed, midway through the first half, pockets of supporters then stood up with red cards. Luxembourg striker Gerson Rodrigues was the reason for the second such protest in as many games. He was given an 18-month suspended sentence after being found guilty of assaulting his former girlfriend, and last April he lost his appeal against the charges and subsequent fines. His inclusion in the squad and place in the starting XI was the source of severe criticism. As half-time came and went, with O'Shea and Collins combining from a Will Smallbone free kick just before the break and the skipper heading off the post, it wasn't simply judgement of the Rodrigues situation that lingered. If you wanted to really look deep into it, when the Ireland team plays it is also a chance to see a reflection of the country it should represent. Four days ago, for example, more than 700 members of the Muslim community celebrated Eid al-Adha in a section of Croke Park. It is one of the holiest festivals – the feast of the sacrifice – yet it still resulted in protestors outside. The day before that, the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O'Callaghan, posted the following message on social media just before 8.30am. 'Another deportation flight left Dublin last night and landed safely this morning in Lagos, Nigeria. There were 35 people on board who had received but had not complied with Deportation Orders.' As was then detailed by The Journal, two of those children who were deported attended St James Primary school in Dublin 8 for the last three years. They had 'become an integral part of the community there' and the principal explained how staff and pupils were 'devastated' as the children were 'part of our football team, part of our school fabric, part of our school lives.' Those children would have been keen to watch this Ireland team play tonight. They should have been able to talk about it with classmates on Wednesday morning. By the time Evan Ferguson was shown a yellow card for stopping a counter attack 10 minutes into the second half, a broader examination of self, and the beliefs we hold, was underway. Yes, there did seem to be more of an edge to the action on the pitch, Parrott following Ferguson into the book for accosting Danel Sinani after he was yellow carded for a cynical foul on Kasey McAteer, but part of the reason for thoughts drifting was down to reading extracts of a speech made by Pep Guardiola that emerged on the day of the game. The Manchester City manager was receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester and made good use of the platform. 'It's so painful what we see in Gaza, it hurts my whole body. Let me be clear, it's not about ideology. It's not about whether I'm right, or you're wrong. It's just about the love of life, about the care of your neighbour.' This 0-0 draw will be forgotten instantly, but if it can go some way to Ireland team building towards World Cup qualification then what a joy that will be. Ireland needs it.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store