Rachael Blackmore charity fund raises £250,000 for injured jockeys after Betfair donate for every winner she's ridden

Betfair's 'serial winners fund' initiative for Rachael Blackmore ended at Aintree on Saturday, with £250,000 raised for the Injured Jockeys Fund and Irish Injured Jockeys. 

The fund began on Betfair Chase day in November with an initial pot of £100,000, with £5,000 added for each Blackmore-ridden winner. The prize was doubled for winners at the Cheltenham Festival, at which the rider struck with Slade Steel and Captain Guinness. The final total was £210,000, with Betfair then adding £40,000 to reach the final total.

On Thursday, Betfair paid out on Bob Olinger, who lost out by a nose to Impaire Et Passe in the Grade 1 Aintree Hurdle and was not promoted following a stewards' inquiry.

Bob Olinger: narrow second in thrilling finish to the Aintree HurdleCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com)

Momentarily it looked as if Blackmore would win her second Grand National on Saturday aboard Minella Indo, but the 2021 Gold Cup hero yielded to I Am Maximus at the Elbow and was eventually overtaken by Delta Work for second. 

Charlotte Booth, chief commercial officer for Betfair, said: "The serial winners fund has been a fantastic journey for all of us; Betfair, the IJF, Irish injured jockeys and Rachael. It has been a real team effort from the start, and we’ve all been cheering Rachael on. 

"Our team visited both Oaksey House in Lambourn and the Racing Academy & Centre of Education facility in Ireland and witnessed first-hand the work both charities do. It’s nothing short of amazing to see the services and support they provide to jockeys and the dedication of the teams. 

"These are such important charities for the racing community, and I'm sure this initiative has raised awareness of these great causes. Rachael has been brilliant throughout and the highlight must be her two Cheltenham winners, which added £20,000 to the pot.’’

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