Latest news with #BrianHayes
Irish Daily Mirror
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Rachael Blackmore gives rare insight into her personal life following retirement
Rachael Blackmore has given a rare insight into her personal life and relationship with jockey Brian Hayes following her retirement from the saddle. The Grand National and Gold Cup-winning rider called time on her career last month. Blackmore made international headlines in 2021 when she teamed up with the Henry de Bromhead-trained Minella Times to win the world's greatest steeplechase at Aintree – the first woman to do so. In a statement last month, the Tipperary native said 'My days of being a jockey have come to an end. 'I feel the time is right. I'm sad but I'm also incredibly grateful for what my life has been for the past 16 years. I just feel so lucky, to have been legged up on the horses I have, and to have experienced success I never even dreamt could be possible.' Expanding on her decision, she told Betfair: 'When I was leaving the weighing room at Cheltenham on Friday this year, for the first time I just had a little thought in my head: 'Will I be back here next season?' 'It was the first time that thought had ever crept into my head. I didn't know. 'Part of me thought I would be back, part of me thought I wouldn't . 'I just said to myself leave it until June and get to the jockeys' break. I'd think about it all then.' Blackmore is in a long-term relationship with Brian Hayes. Though the couple keeps their personal life mostly out of the public eye, she did open up about their shared home life in a 2021 interview. "I live with two other jockeys, Patrick Mullins and Brian Hayes," she revealed. "It's a great house, located in Leighlinbridge, Carlow, close to all the big tracks in Ireland." She added: "We don't talk about racing half as much as people think. It's just a normal house when we come home." Blackmore recently shared a number of photos on Instagram, showing her enjoying a holiday, dinner, and social events with her friends and family, including Hayes. The trailblazer says she has not set plans despite retiring, but admits she will have 'a very different life' to the one she had previously. 'Even though retiring was probably a feeling inside me that I had kind of dampened down, it wasn't part of a massive plan to retire that Saturday, there is nothing set up but I am very lucky that I can take a few weeks and decide what might be next,' she said. 'It will be a very different life to the one I had previously."
The Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Rachael Blackmore gives fans rare glimpse into her life with boyfriend and pals after shock retirement aged 35
RACHAEL BLACKMORE has shared several snaps of herself enjoying life in retirement. The legendary jockey, 35, surprisingly announced that she was calling it quits earlier this month. 6 6 6 Since retiring, Blackmore has been spending time with family and friends. In her Instagram post earlier today, the Irish superstar shared pictures of herself with pals, as well as boyfriend Brian Hayes. Some of her pictures showed her at swanky restaurants. While another saw her pose trackside. During her illustrious career, Blackmore secured 575 wins as a jockey. Blackmore also made history at the 2021 Grand National, winning the race aboard Minella Times. The triumph marked the first time that a woman had ever won the prestigious race. She was also the first woman to in 2022. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 6 6 This was one of 18 winners she achieved at Cheltenham. Announcing her decision, Blackmore said: "My days of being a jockey have come to an end. 'Fantastic time' - Rachael Blackmore & Paul Townend share backstage sneak peek of Late Late Show experience 'I feel the time is right. I'm sad but I'm also incredibly grateful for what my life has been for the past 16 years. "I just feel so lucky, to have been legged up on the horses I have, and to have experienced success I never even dreamt could be possible. 'It is daunting, not being able to say that I am a jockey anymore… who even am I now! But I feel so incredibly lucky to have had the career I've had. "To have been in the right place at the right time with the right people, and to have gotten on the right horses – because it doesn't matter how good you are without them. They have given me the best days of my life and to them I am most grateful.'
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Rachael Blackmore shares rare insight into life with jockey boyfriend as she unwinds at festival
RACHAEL Blackmore has shared a rare insight into her life away from the racing track with her jockey boyfriend Brian Hayes. Fresh off 6 Blackmore generally keeps her relationship out of the public eye Credit: @blackmorerachael 6 Her, Brian and pals smiling for the camera on a night out Credit: @blackmorerachael 6 Top amateur jockey Patrick Mullins was sat beside her in this one Credit: @blackmorerachael 6 Unwinding on a gorgeous sunny day spent at a music festival Credit: @blackmorerachael Her latest Instagram post was notable for how little it showcased photos taken in a racing background. Instead, there were pics from her attending a friend's wedding, at a music festival and savouring general nights out with friends. Her jockey boyfriend Brian Hayes featured in a few of them. Tipperary native Blackmore generally steers any interview question about him back to racing. But she has given the odd titbit of information about Read More On Irish Sport In a 2021 interview she did lift the lid on how they shared a house at the time with another jockey star. She outlined: "I live with two other jockeys, Patrick Mullins and Brian Hayes. "I am going out with Brian Hayes, so there are three of us here. "It is a great house to live in and it is in a really good location in Leighlinbridge in Carlow. It is close to all the race tracks in Ireland." Most read in Horse Racing Interestingly, she added: "We don't talk about racing half as much as people might think. It is just a normal house when we come home." Book background A few weeks prior to her announcing her retirement, she marked an altogether different milestone with the publication of her first book - entitled Granny National. Statement issued as officials launch probe into jockey's final-flight fall on leading horse who drifted in market Sharing a pic of it among the shelves at Eason, the 35-year-old was clearly in buoyant form. She quipped: "Available now in all good and bad bookshops." It was co-written by Rachel Pierce and its retail price is €13.99. The Tipp trailblazer previously outlined how the story revolves around a young girl, who happens to be named Rachael, helps her grandmother to fulfil her lifelong dream of becoming a jockey. 6 Attending a friend's wedding while wearing a stunning red gown Credit: @blackmorerachael 6 With more pals in what looks to be a hotel lobby Credit: @blackmorerachael In total, three years of work went into it. As a rider, 2025 saw her The last one to fall was the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle which she clinched aboard Bob Olinger. It meant she added the Stayers' Hurdle to her previous victories in the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase, Ryanair Chase and Gold Cup.
RTÉ News
6 days ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Mortgage approvals continued to grow in April as first-time buyer activity reached new highs – latest figures from BPFI
There were 2,922 first-time buyer (FTB) approvals valued at almost €1 billion (€965m) in April, according to the latest figures from the Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland's Mortgage Approvals Report. The report shows the highest April FTB levels since the data series began in 2011. The number of mortgages approved rose by 4.7% month-on-month and by 5.8% compared with the same period last year. 31,853 FTB mortgages valued at almost €10 billion (€9,999m) were approved in the twelve months ending April 2025, the highest activity levels since the data series began. Commenting on the publication of the latest data, BPFI Chief Executive Brian Hayes said: "The latest mortgage figures show continued growth in approvals in April 2025, with volumes up by 5.8% year on year and values up 13.6% over the same period." "We can see from today's figures that lenders are supporting more and more FTBs, which points to a healthy pipeline for lending in the coming months," he said. "However, FTB housing demand is also growing, as evidenced by the 14,554 applications for Help to Buy in the first three months of 2025. This is up from 9,991 in the same period of 2024," said Mr Hayes.
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Average mortgage approval value hit new record of €319k in April
Average Irish mortgage approval values rose to a record of more than €319,000 in April, new figures from the banking industry reveal, as house prices continued to climb, requiring property owners to take on higher levels of debt. The Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) said on Friday that lenders approved 4,705 home loans in the month, an increase of 4.7 per cent from March and 5.8 per cent from the same month last year. The total value of mortgage approvals in the Republic was €1.5 billion, a sharp 13.6 per cent higher than April 2024, the banking lobby group said. It meant that the average value of a mortgage approved in the month was €319,143, the highest monthly level since the BPFI's records began in 2011. READ MORE The average value of a first-time-buyer mortgage approved in April also hit a record €330,123, up by more than 8 per cent over 12 months. First-time buyers accounted for €965 million of the total value of mortgages approved in April, or 61 per cent. [ Could Ireland's new mortgage offerings save you a lot of money? Opens in new window ] 'We can see from today's figures that lenders are supporting more and more first-time buyers, which points to a healthy pipeline for lending in the coming months,' said BPFI chief executive Brian Hayes. 'However, first-time buyer housing demand is also growing, as evidenced by the 14,554 applications for Help to Buy in the first three months of 2025. This is up from 9,991 in the same period of 2024.' House prices in Ireland grew at an average annual rate of 7.5 per cent in March, according to the most recent Central Statistics Office figures, as continuing supply shortages, Government incentives to buy, and expectations of further interest rate cuts continued to fuel demand. The median or middle price paid for a home in the 12 months to March was €362,500. Property prices nationally have increased by 161.6 per cent from their trough in early 2013. Meanwhile, amid a shortage of second-hand properties for sale, the BPFI said mover-purchase mortgage approvals fell by 5.9 per cent in the 12 months to the end of April but were up 0.7 per cent in value terms. BPFI figures published in April revealed that the average value of mortgage drawdowns also hit a record of almost €328,000 in the first three months of the year amid soaring demand and low levels of supply. This was driven by a 9.6 per cent annual rise in loans on second-hand properties to €370,790. The Government is targeting the delivery of 303,000 new homes by 2030, starting with 41,000 homes this year and rising incrementally to 60,000 homes a year by 2030. However, the Central Bank, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and other bodies are forecasting supply to fall well short of those targets this year and next.
