Cheltenham Gold Cup: Rachael Blackmore first female to land horse racing’s biggest prize as A Plus Tard sprints to success | Racing News

Rachael Blackmore became the first woman to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup as A Plus Tard scooted clear to land the sport’s blue riband prize for trainer Henry De Bromhead.

In a vintage Blackmore ride, the duo stalked their rivals who quickened the pace in the final half-mile with 2021 winner Minella Indo and Robbie Power moving clear.

But as well as he was going, Blackmore quickly looked to have matters in control and came between Protektorat and dual winner Al Boum Photo to hunt down the defending champion, who had four lengths to spare jumping the penultimate fence.

That left Blackmore, who added to her two Champion Hurdles and the Grand National with that victory, used A Plus Tard’s speed to perfection and jumped to the front over the last and powered clear for an emphatic victory.

Asterion Forlonge and Aye Right set the pace which looked to help the eight-year-old, who was going clear at the finish, eventually winning by 15 lengths.

Minella Indo was a distant second, with the Dan Skelton-trained Protektorat nosing out Galvin for third, two and a half lengths behind the runner-up.

Dual Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo briefly looked like adding to Willie Mullins’ dream day, but faded out of contention in the final half-mile.

After the race, the winning jockey said: “I just can’t believe it. I’m so lucky to be getting to ride all these kind of horses.

“You can’t do this without the horses and being attached to Henry’s yard is just absolutely phenomenal. To give me this horse is unbelievable I don’t know what to say.

“I’ve had so many special days. I wouldn’t swap the Grand National for anything, but this is the Gold Cup. I wish I had something better to say right now. I just can’t.

“You have all these plans about how things are going to work out. Racing doesn’t let that happen all the time and for some reason it’s happened to me today. I just can’t explain how lucky I feel.”

Winning trainer Henry De Bromhead added: “The class of him there – he was so impressive and Indo ran an absolute blinder as well, he really did. He was brilliant as well. It’s incredible stuff.

“Rachael was brilliant on him. Rachael was so brave, the way she went about it, it was brilliant.

“She was really brave. I’ve kind of got to that stage that if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. They both got a lovely passage. Robbie (Power) was brilliant on Indo and Rachael amazing on A Plus Tard.

“It definitely does (feel different this year), just the crowds looking here at the stand – it’s just incredible. This is what it’s all about. “It was amazing to win it last year, but it’s triple amazing this year with all the people here.”