10 March 2024 , 12:00
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Tuesday marks exactly five years since Rachael Blackmore rode her first Cheltenham Festival winner - and what a journey it has been since.
She has gone on to win the Gold Cup, Grand National, two Champion Hurdles, multiple other top races and become one of Ireland's most recognisable sports stars.
Tuesday also of course marks the start of the 2024 Festival, with the Tipperary jockey once again set to partner an incredible team of horses for Henry de Bromhead's powerhouse stable - and she is as hungry as ever for winners.
A Plus Tard was the horse that she guided to that first Cheltenham success, with Minella Indo providing her with another Prestbury Park victory three days later at odds of 50-1 back in 2019.
Reflecting on those successes, Blackmore told the Irish Sunday Mirror: "When I went to Cheltenham that year, Henry put me up on a lot of good horses and I'd never ridden a Cheltenham winner.
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"That was the year A Plus Tard won. I was getting on a horse like him who romped home in a handicap chase, Minella Indo that year won the Albert Bartlett. These are horses that can go on to do the things that they did. I think that year was just incredible because I was given the chance to ride horses of that calibre, it worked out and the ball rolled on from there."
A Plus Tard was retired earlier this year, but Minella Indo drops down in grade for the Cross Country Chase.
Rachael Blackmore celebrates Cheltenham Gold Cup success on A Plus Tard (PA)Rachael names her four best chances of the week
MONTY’S STAR - Brown Advisory Novices' Chase (Wednesday)
“I couldn’t be more confident in Monty’s Star. He was really, really good the last day. His jumping is very good, He’s really straightforward, a horse you just really enjoy riding. I just think he will be bang there. I think he’s progressive and I think this race is made for him. There’s a really big day in him and hopefully it’s at Cheltenham.”
CAPTAIN GUINNESS - Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase (Wednesday)
"I just think that Captain Guinness is really, really solid. His performance in the Fortria Chase at Navan at the start of the season was really, really good and obviously he's had his problem with his heart, but that seems to be all in order now. On a going day he's a very, very solid horse so I just think he could run another really big race. It could be a race that opens up."
Envoi Allen: will defend his Ryanair crown with Rachael Blackmore (Getty Images)MINELLA INDO - Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase (Wednesday)
"To be riding him in the Cross Country is really, really exciting. He was really, really good before Christmas over the Cross Country course so I cannot wait to ride him in it. It's obviously a race I'd love to win and he's a really good ride to have in the race."
ENVOI ALLEN - Ryanair Chase (Thursday)
“He’s been incredible and has a great record at Cheltenham. He hasn’t met all his targets as Henry thought at the start of the season, but he is very happy with him at home. He runs really well fresh. I know he’s a year older but the Ryanair is a race there to be won and the manner in which he did it, he seems to thrive over there so he hopefully will run a good race again. He’s a horse that really shows his feelings but when he is in good form the people who ride him can tell. He bounces around the place. He seems really good at the moment and it’s just the right time of the year for him to be like that.”
Betfair will donate £10,000 to their Serial Winners Fund, which is raising money for the Injured Jockeys Fund and Irish Injured Jockeys, for each winner Rachael Blackmore rides at Cheltenham next week.