After suffering a fall during a handicap chase at Downpatrick last Friday, prominent jockey Rachael Blackmore will be sidelined for several weeks as a result of a neck injury. The injury occurred when her steed, Hand Over Fist, fell at the penultimate fence, resulting in Blackmore being unable to ride and being replaced on various horses at the current Listowel festival.
The specifics concerning the severity of Blackmore’s injury have not yet been disclosed. However, a spokesperson for the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board stated on Monday evening that Blackmore has indeed suffered a neck injury due to the fall at Downpatrick, and she needs to undertake rehabilitation during the next few weeks.
Well known in Irish sports, 35-year-old Blackmore’s growth in jump racing has managed to revolutionise the sport. In 2021, her success peaked when she became the first female jockey to win the prestigious Aintree Grand National while riding Minella Times, trained by Henry De Bromhead.
Her collaboration with the prestigious trainer from Co Waterford also helped her secure victories at the Cheltenham Gold Cup on A Plus Tard and a double win at the Champion Hurdle on Honeysuckle. Blackmore completed her collection of National Hunt racing’s prominent titles when Captain Guinness won the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March.
During 2021, Blackmore experienced another setback due to a fall at Killarney, leading her to be out of action for nearly 100 days due to a hip injury and a fractured ankle. Nevertheless, her commendable performance throughout the year led to her clinching the RTÉ’s Sportsperson of the Year award and the World Sports Star award from the BBC later in 2021.