After 77 years, life caught up with art yesterday when Rachael Blackmore became the first woman to win the Grand National, riding into the history books on Minella Times.
The 31-year-old Irish rider won the most famous race in the British calendar at odds of 11-1, less than a month after becoming the first female jockey to win the leading rider award at the Cheltenham Festival. “I don’t feel male or female right now. I don’t even feel human,” she said.
Hayley Turner, the first female jockey to win 100 flat races in a year, paid tribute to Blackmore’s triumph on Twitter, referencing the 1944 Elizabeth Taylor film in which a young girl trains to win the Grand National. “For all the girls who watched National Velvet,” Turner wrote. “Thank you [Rachael] we’re so lucky to have you.”
There were no crowds at Aintree, which would normally have welcomed about 100,000 spectators, but Blackmore was cheered by trainers and owners. Henry de Bromhead, who trained her horse, hailed her “amazing” ride. “She’s brilliant, isn’t she?” he said. “Aren’t we so lucky to have her? It’s incredible, stuff you dream of.”
Blackmore rode Minella Times superbly over the 30 fences, beating Balko Des Flos, also trained by de Bromhead and with odds of 100-1, by six and a half lengths. Any Second Now came third. “I just cannot believe it,” she said. “He was an absolutely sensational spin. What Henry de Bromhead does with these horses, I don’t know! I’m so lucky to be riding them ... This is unbelievable.”
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Bryony Frost, one of two other female jockeys in the race, was unseated from Yala Enki and taken to hospital for observation.
