Rachael Blackmore v Paul Townend: let epic jockeys' title battle commence

If Rachael Blackmore is going to make more history by becoming Ireland's first female champion jockey, she is going to have to do it the hard way. It is not going to be served up to her on a plush Punchestown platter, that's for sure.

When Paul Townend was stood down at Fairyhouse on Easter Monday following a fall from Egality Mans, which left him with a nasty foot injury, the consensus seemed to be that he wouldn't make Punchestown so 95 was the number Rachael Blackmore had to beat.

She has been chipping away at the deficit over the last three weeks and a treble at Kilbeggan on Friday reduced Townend's lead to four. That moved her on to 91 winners for the season, surpassing her previous best of 90 during for the 2017-18 campaign.