'Everybody wants to be the next Rachael Blackmore' - racing heavyweights pay tribute to record-breaking jockey

Rachael Blackmore announced her retirement on Monday following a glittering career that included victories in the Grand National, Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase. Below, those closest to her pay tribute to the history-making jockey . . .

• 'I feel so incredibly lucky to have had the career I’ve had' - groundbreaking jockey Rachael Blackmore announces her retirement 

• Rachael Blackmore's career is evidence that there's no such thing as an impossible dream 

• 'She's got bigger balls than any of the boys' - the making of Rachael Blackmore 

Henry de Bromhead, trainer

She's just an amazing person with an incredible work-ethic. She has scaled such huge heights and done so with such humility.

There were so many amazing days, from the Grand National to the Gold Cup and all those magic Honeysuckle days. That final Honeysuckle win at Cheltenham was huge. There was a lot of pressure on her and she just coped so amazingly well with it all. 

Top partnership: Rachael Blackmore and Henry de BromheadCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

She rode everywhere well, but I thought she was particularly brilliant at Cheltenham. She just seemed to step it up another notch whenever she got there when I didn't even think it was possible to do that. As a rider and as a person, she was pure class.

She's got great empathy, too. She always said the right thing. There was no way you could have prepared for what happened [Jack de Bromhead's death], but she always seemed to say the right thing and the right time and she was there for us all. She was a very classy lady. 

It's only the end of a chapter in her life, because she has got so much ahead of her now. Whatever she does, she'll be brilliant at. I'm so delighted for her that she's gone out on her terms and the way she wants.

Davy Russell, former Irish champion jump jockey

She has crashed through so many glass ceilings and has been a fantastic sportsperson. She was always a great competitor but is an even nicer person to go with it. I could not say a bad word about her. She was always great craic, too, and wonderful company. 

Davy Russell: "She has crashed through so many glass ceilings and has been a fantastic sportsperson"Credit: Patrick McCann

I suppose the best compliment I can pay her is that everybody wants to be the next Rachael Blackmore now. That's the goal for every girl who sits on a pony now – they all want to be the next Rachael. I even see it with my little one, Lily. That's the one question everyone asks her: are you going to be the next Rachael?

That's the impact she's had on this sport. You can't get a better compliment than everybody wanting to be just like you.

Willie Mullins, champion jumps trainer

What a jockey she's been. She was a tough cookie, too. She got some really bad falls but bounced back every single time and I'm just delighted she has gone out in one piece and on her own terms. 

Rachael Blackmore alongside Willie Mullins (second from left)Credit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

She rode a Grand National winner, a Gold Cup winner, a Champion Hurdle and Champion Chase winner, but not only that, she also rode a two-year-old winner for me as well. 

There aren't too many jump jockeys with that distinction. She's had a fabulous career and I wish her every success in the future.

Brian Acheson of owners Robcour

She was a pleasure to deal with and over the last five years I would have her in the top three jockeys in Ireland and Britain. There is Paul [Townend], Jack [Kennedy] and her. I know the likes of Harry Cobden and Darragh [O'Keeffe] and a few others might not like me saying that, but that's how highly I rated her. 

Rachael Blackmore: won the Stayers' Hurdle for Robcour on Bob OlingerCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Of those three, if she was riding at Clonmel of a Thursday she might be the third-best of the three, but when she got to Cheltenham she was the best of the three. In my eyes, she was the best since Ruby Walsh at riding Cheltenham. She rode that place beautifully. She just had a clock in her head and she knew where she needed to be. She won so many races around there that others wouldn't have won. 

So was so strong physically, as well – her strength won so many races. She has such an amazing personality, too. She carries herself so well and everybody loves her. I was taken aback when she phoned to tell me the news but I'm so happy she is going out on her own terms and when she wants. She has broken glass ceilings everywhere.

Shark Hanlon, trainer

We only gave her a helping hand at the start. She did the rest herself. She rang to tell me the news a few hours ago on Monday and it brought a tear to my eye. I was so happy that she went out on her own terms. She was a part of the family here and so good to my late father. She kept him going in his latter years. He would switch on the TV religiously every day just to watch Rachael and see how she was getting on. He absolutely adored her. We all did. 

Shark Hanlon: "She rang to tell me the news and it brought a tear to my eye"Credit: Carl Evans

She was so brave. That was her biggest asset at the start. She would ride anything and had no fear. Her big aim when she started riding was to be champion lady point-to-point rider, but that meant she was riding a lot of poor horses and it almost ruined her. She was getting so many falls but it wasn't her fault. She was just riding bad horses and that's why I advised her to turn professional. 

I remember when I told her she should turn professional, she thought I was cracked! But what a career she has had. It was Davy Russell who recommended her to ride Stowaway Pearl one day at Thurles when we were lucky for someone. That's over 14 years ago now and the rest, as they say, is history. She's been an absolute star.

Read more:

'I feel so incredibly lucky to have had the career I’ve had' - groundbreaking jockey Rachael Blackmore announces her retirement 

Rachael Blackmore's career is evidence that there's no such thing as an impossible dream 

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