Blackmore seals Cheltenham doublepublished at 12:43 Greenwich Mean Time
Frank Keogh
BBC Sport at Cheltenham
Image source, Getty ImagesRachael Blackmore won the Stayers’ Hurdle aboard Bob Olinger to complete a Cheltenham Festival double on Thursday.
The 8-1 shot, trained by Henry de Bromhead, beat last year’s winner Teahupoo in a thrilling battle up the hill.
“I’m very lucky to be on this horse. He is brilliant. He has so much speed and could use it,” said Blackmore, who earlier triumphed on Air Of Entitlement.
Blackmore and Bob Olinger clinched a third Festival triumph after novice hurdle and novice chase successes in 2021 and 2022.
The pioneering 35-year-old jockey adds the Stayers’ Hurdle to a winning CV that also includes the Grand National, Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle, Champion Chase and Ryanair.
Blackmore, who was sidelined for three months with a neck injury after a fall in September, was the first woman to be leading jockey at the Festival in 2021 and now has 18 victories at the meeting.
