AN ECSTATIC RACHAEL Blackmore savoured that winning feeling on the last day of the 2022 Cheltenham Festival, landing the Gold Cup prize for the first time.
After finishing runner-up to Minella Indo last year, Blackmore turned the tables this time with a powerful finish on board A Plus Tard.
It caps a week which began with another Champion Hurdle win for the Tipperary jockey and is the latest milestone after a whirlwind phase that saw her land the Grand National and a Cheltenham top jockey award last year.
She paid tribute to her winning charge and successful trainer Henry de Bromhead, classing herself as fortunate to be associated with such success.
“I just can’t believe it. I’m so lucky to be getting to ride all these kind of horses,” Blackmore told ITV Racing afterwards.
🥇#CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/Uzw4fWqJOp
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) March 18, 2022
“You can’t do this without the horses and being attached to Henry’s yard is just absolutely phenomenal. To give me this horse is unbelievable I don’t know what to say.
“I’ve had so many special days. I wouldn’t swap the Grand National for anything, but this is the Gold Cup. I wish I had something better to say right now. I just can’t.
“You have all these plans about how things are going to work out. Racing doesn’t let that happen all the time and for some reason it’s happened to me today. I just can’t explain how lucky I feel.”
De Bromhead said: “The class of him there – he was so impressive and Indo ran an absolute blinder as well, he really did. He was brilliant as well. It’s incredible stuff.
“Rachael was brilliant on him. Rachael was so brave, the way she went about it, it was brilliant.
“She was really brave. I’ve kind of got to that stage that if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. They both got a lovely passage. Robbie (Power) was brilliant on Indo and Rachael amazing on A Plus Tard.
“It definitely does (feel different this year), just the crowds looking here at the stand – it’s just incredible. This is what it’s all about.
"Listen to this!"
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) March 18, 2022
These are just brilliant pictures from Cheltenham.
What a reception. #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/esrWTdJ07b
“It was amazing to win it last year, but it’s triple amazing this year with all the people here.”
Richard Thompson, of owners Cheveley Park Stud, said: “We’ve been talking about this moment, and it’s happened. It’s absolutely fantastic to win the Gold Cup. Incredible.
“My father (the late David Thompson) would have loved it, he watched the Gold Cup for many years and to actually win it is incredible. I can’t even speak.
“I did feel she was a bit far back, but I knew she had a gameplan – she has totally delivered.
“What a day for racing.”
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