Latest news with #QueenMotherChampionChase
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Michael O'Sullivan's brother pays emotional tribute to tragic jockey after big win
Alan O'Sullivan remembered the Cheltenham Festival-winning rider after riding the JP McManus-owned Filey Bay to victory in a valuable Flat handicap at the Galway Festival The brother of Michael O'Sullivan paid an emotional tribute to the tragic jockey after riding a big winner at the famous Galway Festival. Cheltenham Festival-winning rider Michael died in February aged 24 from injuries sustained in a five horse pile-up at the final fence of a chase at Thurles in February. He was the subject of numerous tributes at the Cheltenham Festival where his loved ones, including amateur rider brother Alan, were present to see the jockey's first Festival winner Marine Nationale win the Queen Mother Champion Chase in March, then by an uncanny coincidence Jazzy Matty, O'Sullivan's other Cheltenham Festival winner, scored later on the same day. On Thursday Alan was riding the JP McManus-owned Filey Bay, trained by Emmet Mullins, in the Connact Hotel (Q.R.) Handicap. He had to weave a path to get a run on the 7-1 chance and when he did he fairly shot clear, with the winning jockey looking to the skies as he passed the line four and three-quarter lengths ahead of Mon Coeur. 'It's unbelievable, my goal at the start of the year was to be good enough that someone might want me for this. He was looking down on me, I think,' said O'Sullivan. 'When I wanted the gaps, they came for me, I got a dream run. I probably went the brave man's route, but I thought it's what Mikey would have done. I had loads of horse, if I got any gap at all I had the horse to take it.' Winning trainer Mullins said: 'It was meant to be and I'm a bit lost for words. It's just magic. It was Michael's saddle that Alan was using today. Michael rode a few times for me here and I think we hit the crossbar twice, so Alan steadied the ship. 'It's been a long enough road with the horse. We had him last season and I sent him home twice as I just wasn't happy. Thankfully with JP the patience has paid off. 'Alan was keen to ride him, and I was keen to claim off him as well. For 7lb claimers you don't need to look any further than Alan.' Don't miss a FREE £2 William Hill shop bet inside your Mirror every day of Glorious Goodwood Festival Pick up your Mirror every day of the Goodwood festival to get your hands on 12 page pullouts packed with insight from the punters you trust, plus FREE William Hill shop bets every day of the festival from Tuesday July 29 until Saturday August 2, 2025. Find out more here.
Daily Mirror
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Cheltenham Festival winner's stepdaughter on hot streak commits future to Flat
Elizabeth Gale, whose stepfather rode One Man to victory in the Champion Chase, has ridden ten winners since she switched from the jumps in May Rookie rider Elizabeth Gale has committed her future to the Flat after riding her first winner at Ascot. The 23-year-old followed her stepfather Brian Harding, who rode One Man to victory in the 1998 Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, into the jumps sphere as a teenager, riding 11 winners. She rode her last winner over hurdles at Ffos Las in May but since switching focus to the Flat she has rattled off ten wins, including one in Ireland. Gale had her first ride at Royal Ascot last month and returned to the track on Friday to score for the first time at the track on Knights Gold in a £20,000 handicap for Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole, to whom she is now apprenticed. She made her switch with the intention of continuing to ride under both Flat and jumps codes but has decided to concentrate solely on the Flat. 'This will be my main focus over the summer and then I will look forward to the all-weather season over the winter,' said Gale. 'I might still have a few rides in bumpers where needed but for now it will be solely on the Flat side of things and improving my riding. 'When I was riding as a jump jockey things were very stop and start. Obviously there is a lot less jump racing so I would go through phases of getting momentum going and then have a quiet period, like every other jump jockey in the weighing room. 'Since moving to the Flat I've realised how much racing there is and how much opportunity and for me personally my riding improves the more regularly I am doing it. There are so many meetings that I am finding it a lot easier to improve. As an athlete I can get better quicker. 'I went into jumps because that was what I was brought up in. My stepdad won an Irish Grand National and Queen Mother Champion Chase so that's why.' Gale has climbed up sixth place in the apprentice championship but believes her best shot will come in 2026. 'This year has been going so well that anything I get will be a bonus,' she said. 'Don't get me wrong I am still hungry for winners but I think with the 5lb claim next year would be the time have a real go at the apprentice championship.'
North Wales Chronicle
14-05-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
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. — Rachael Blackmore (@rachaelblackmor) May 12, 2025 '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. 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. '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. '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.'
Glasgow Times
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
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.'
Rhyl Journal
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
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. — Rachael Blackmore (@rachaelblackmor) May 12, 2025 '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. 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. '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. '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.'
