Rachael Blackmore

[Lordamighty]

Congratulations Rachael, first ever female winner of the Grand National.

No idea why this is in the "sex and gender" bit but anyway- thread update
Rachael Blackmore now has 2 Champion Hurdles, a Grand National and...a Cheltenham Gold Cup to her name.

In the words of Michelle Payne at 3.18 (although Cheveley Park were supportive of Rachael ) m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka8LC60v0wc&t=33s

She's brilliant.

Oh, also shout out to Venetia Williams who trained two winners at the Cheltenham festival- the same number as Gordon Elliott; he had nearly six times as many runners as she did and some of his cost hundreds of thousands. Her Grade one winner this week failed to meet its reserve price of €25k in France as a younger horse, then had a dodgy leg and was bought by an owner who knew she would bring it on slowly. Her other winner of the week was ridden by a woman- Lucy Turner- and went off at 40-1.

Lucinda Russell had an even better strike rate at the festival- she had two runners: one winner, the other horse was second to Venetia's grade 1 winner.