Rachael Blackmore made sporting history by becoming the first female jockey to win the Grand National with victory on Minella Times at Aintree. The Irish rider scored a thrilling triumph aboard the 11-1 chance, trained by Henry de Bromhead who also saddled runner-up Balko Des Flos.
The thrilled record-breaker said: "I don't feel male or female right now. I don't even feel human." The 173rd running of the world's most famous steeplechase provided a story for the ages as Blackmore won in the colours of owner JP McManus.
The 31-year-old – who claimed six victories in all, including the Champion Hurdle on Honeysuckle, and was a narrow runner-up in the Gold Cup with A Plus Tard - had already achieved a landmark success at last month's Cheltenham Festival when becoming the first woman to be the meeting's leading jockey. She demonstrated perfect poise and timing to guide Minella Times expertly round the 30 fences over more than four and a quarter miles for victory by six and a half lengths.
The closest a female jockey had previously come to winning the race was Katie Walsh on Seabass in 2012 when she finished third. "I cannot believe it," Blackmore - the daughter of a dairy farmer and a school teacher from Killenaule, County Tipperary - said. "He was a sensational spin. It is unbelievable." Starting out riding ponies as a child, she went on to gain a degree in equine science and combined her studies with competing as an amateur jockey.
There were no spectators at the Merseyside track because of Covid-19 protocols, but the historic moment was not lost on the jockeys, trainers and owners in attendance who cheered the pair back into the winner's enclosure. The 1-2 for De Bromhead sealed his own remarkable story, having won the Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
One of the 40 runners, The Long Mile, was euthanised after suffering an injury while running on the flat between fences. It was the second equine fatality in eight editions of the race since safety changes were introduced in 2013. Jockey Bryony Frost was taken to hospital after being unseated from her mount Yala Enki. Amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen, who has won six times in other races over the National fences, led the way with an enterprising ride on outsider Jett.
The favourite, Cloth Cap, followed on the inside and travelled well for a long way before fading as McManus runners Any Second Now and Minella Times entered the picture. Mark Walsh did well to stay on Any Second Now after nearly being brought down at the third-last and the challenges of Burrows Saint and Discorama waned as Balko Des Flos and Minella Times pushed ahead.
As Blackmore and Minella Times safely jumped the last, it became clear a piece of racing folklore was being created and the pair passed the winning line clear of their rivals. Forty-four years after Charlotte Brew was the first woman to ride in the race on 200-1 outsider Barony Fort, who refused at the 27th fence, Blackmore had bettered Walsh's third-placed finish with an historic victory.
"It is huge. It's the first woman to win the National. It's history, but I suppose this has been coming over time," said Walsh. "There's been more women riding in the National over the last couple of years."
