Rachael Blackmore made more history at Cheltenham on Friday as she partnered A Plus Tard to victory in the Gold Cup.
The Tipperary jockey became the first woman to win the Grade 1 contest, the feature race of the entire Cheltenham Festival, for trainer Henry de Bromhead and owners Cheveley Park Stud.
Blackmore finished second in the race 12 months ago after opting to ride A Plus Tard over Minella Indo but reversed the placings with that rival and stablemate yesterday.
Blackmore felt like a "rock star" after the race and said: “I can’t believe [winning the Grand National] is not even 12 months ago. I don’t know how I am this lucky! It’s phenomenal.
“I was happy, I was kind of where I wanted to be, there were probably more horses in front of me throughout the race than I wanted. I had the three horses around me that I wanted to be around me, I had a wall of horses in front of me turning in, but they made sure I didn’t go too soon like I did last year. It’s just incredible. I tried to hold onto him a bit more this year and look, it worked.
“I was happy if [Minella Indo] did go and I didn’t get him, I was just happy I wasn’t upsides him this year and I was trying to do something different. I kind of knew after the second last that I had more horse under me than I did last year, I didn’t think I would be 15 lengths clear though.
“When I took out my licence, I didn’t think I would be riding at Cheltenham, let alone a favourite in the Gold Cup. I’m so lucky to be getting the chance to ride horses in these kinds of races. This is the Gold Cup, you know what I mean?
“It was ideal for me [that they went steady early], he jumped really well this year, I was in my comfort zone everywhere and I was just happy everywhere. It’s lovely when you’re in a race like that and you’re where you want to be.”
“I never even dreamt I could be doing this and I am. What I’m doing now is a dream I could never allow myself to have because it was not even in my reality. You can never dream too big because this is something I never thought would be possible.”
Blackmore admitted it was great to have punters back at Cheltenham to enjoy her wins.
She added: “To have that roar back and to get to walk back in when you can’t see space and you can just see bodies is just incredible. It is the closest thing to feeling like a rockstar you will ever feel without being able to sing. It is just incredible to have people back and I feel very, very lucky.
Winning trainer de Bromhead commented: “Incredible. What a ballsy ride by Rachael - she was just unreal. She hunted away there; they went a good gallop and she was very brave, I thought, and brilliant.
“I didn’t really get too involved in the plan, to be honest. She told me one day that she was just going to ride him to use his pace and his speed - that’s what she said she was going to try and do, and she did it. She knows him better than anyone. Brilliant.
“It’s ridiculous [having had the first two home in the Gold Cup two years running] - it’s just mental. The class of him there - he was so impressive, and Minella Indo ran an absolute blinder there as well, he really did. He was brilliant as well. Incredible stuff.
“Rachael was so brave, the way she went about it, and that was it. It got to that stage [in the race] that if it was going to happen, it was going to happen. Both horses got a lovely passage; Robbie [Power] was brilliant on Indo and Rachael amazing on A Plus Tard.
“It definitely does [mean more this year than last] - it’s the crowds, just looking here at the stands. It’s just incredible and this is what it’s all about. It was amazing to win it last year, but it’s triple amazing this year.
“What an awesome performance, to show that speed at the end of three and a quarter miles is unreal.”
Blackmore's father Charles, sister Charlotte and brother Johnny, who flew in from New York for yesterday's races, were all at the course to cheer the Tipperary rider on.
A beaming Charlotte was delighted to be on the course after watching all her sister's successes last year from home.
She said: "I'm overwhelmed, I can’t believe it, I was so delighted last year but to get to see it this year is just something else.
"To actually get to be here in person is just incredible."
Her father commented: “It's fantastic. It's just fantastic. You couldn't make it up.
“It's probably a bit of a haze at the moment, but to see the reception that she got on Tuesday, and to do it again today, it's just mind boggling. Everything else pales, it's fantastic. Jonathan, her brother, Charlotte, her sister, are both here today, so to get us all here was brilliant. Her mum's at home holding the fort so she's jumping around the kitchen – she's over the moon and so happy that we're all here. Jonathan came from New York, so it's just per chance that he's here. A last minute decision and now he's here and it's brilliant.
“We missed being here last year. Eimir was here with me on Tuesday [this year], so we both experienced that and the roar she got. The support she's getting from both sides of the water is just incredible. People are so kind to her and it's a unique sport and there's so many strands that have to be pulled together to pull off something like this. Owners, trainers, jockeys, horses.
“I was being collected from the airport and the taxi man asked if I have an interest, and I said that I have a daughter riding. He said, 'Rachael?' It's just her first name is used, she's known all over now.”
Blackmore's mother Eimir had been at the meeting earlier in the week but returned home on Tuesday night after watching her daughter win the Champion Hurdle on Honeysuckle.
The result was bad news for the bookies as punters piled cash on the 3/1 favourite.
Nicola McGeady of Ladbrokes said: “Rachael Blackmore has done it again! Not only has she made Gold Cup history, but she has also made it a day to remember for delighted punters, and a day to forget for the bookies.
"Her mount A Plus Tard was by far the best backed horse in the Gold Cup, having been smashed into favouritism early this morning.
"After a tricky three days for punters, they certainly got revenge today and have ended the week on a high."
Meanwhile, Willie Mullins and Paul Townend were crowned the leading trainer and jockey respectively for the meeting.
The Carlow handler won five of the races on the final day, with Townend partnering Vauban and State Man to victory, while Sean O'Keefe rode The Nice Guy, Patrick Mullins partnered Billaway and Mark Walsh was on Elimay.
The victories saw Mullins crowned the Festival's leading trainer for a ninth time as he had his most winners ever at the meeting with ten.
But there was heartbreak for multi-millionaire owners Noel and Valerie Moran after one of their runners, Ginto, became the fourth horse to die at the meeting.
The six-year-old sustained a fatal injury in the Albert Bartlett when coming into contention and was pulled up by jockey Jack Kennedy.
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