Blackmore excited to see winter horses returning Rachael Blackmore is already looking forward to the autumn and winter campaign following her breakthrough season last term. While too shy to admit it herself, Blackmore looked to have a serious chance of becoming the first female professional champion jockey in history last season — pushing Paul Townend all the way before eventually having to make do with the runner-up spot in the title race. However, she still ended the campaign with 90 winners — more than doubling her best previous tally. She also enjoyed a Cheltenham Festival double aboard the Henry de Bromhead-trained pair of A Plus Tard and Minella Indo and bagged her first Grade One success in Ireland when steering the same trainer’s Honeysuckle to victory at Fairyhouse on Easter Sunday. Blackmore said: “It’s great to get back going again. We’re seeing a lot of the winter horses coming back in now, so it’s an exciting time in a lot of yards. “To head back into the yard and see horses like Minella Indo and Honeysuckle back in, it does kind of spark you a little bit more than the summer ones. “It’s very exciting and the dream is alive for all of them at the moment.” More immediately, Blackmore is hoping for success at the seven-day Harvest Festival at Listowel, which begins this Sunday and ends next Saturday. She added: “Listowel is kind of the culmination of the summer and you’d be really looking forward to it. Everyone wants a bit of success down there and there is a full week of racing to look forward to. “Hopefully we can get a winner down there.”
