Breaking News: Betfair ambassador Rachael Blackmore announces retirement

• Betfair ambassador Rachael Blackmore announces retirement

• Sensational 16 year career comes to an end

• Rachael won all the major races in glittering career

• Congratulations to Rachael on an incredible career from everyone at Betfair

Rachael Blackmore announces retirement from the saddle

Betfair ambassador Rachael Blackmore has decided to call time on her incredble riding career, announcing her retirement via X today (Monday May 12).

pic.twitter.com/PufRsGGtvY

-- Rachael Blackmore (@rachaelblackmor) May 12, 2025

Blackmore has enjoyed a superb career in the saddle finishing with 18 wins at the Cheltenham Festival, while becoming the first woman to win the jockeys title at the 2021 Festival.

A serial winner and record breaker, Blackmore also become the first woman jockey to win the Aintree Grand National in the same year, whilst elevating her career in 2022 when taking the Cheltenham Gold Cup aboard A Plus Tard.

As well as those achievements, Blackmore went on to land two Champion Hurdles, a Champion Chase, and this year winning the Stayers Hurdle aboard Bob Olinger to complete the grand-slam of feature races across every day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Congratulations to Rachael Blackmore on an incredible career

Blackmore rode the final winner of her career on Saturday at Cork in the 14:15 Novice Hurdle aboard Ma Belle Etoile, which translates to 'my beautiful star' and she has lit up racing like the star she is!

From everyone at Betfair we want to wish Rachael a happy retirement and congratulate her on an oustanding career in the sport.

First winner - Stowaway Pearl in 2011
Last winner - Ma Belle Etoile in 2025

Over 4000 races and historic wins in the

🏆 Gold Cup
🏆 Champion Hurdle
🏆 Queen Mother champion Chase
🏆 Stayers Hurdle
🏆 The Grand National
🏆 The Betfair Chase

Betfair ambassador @rachaelblackmor... pic.twitter.com/ICZYbOVTsS

-- Betfair Racing (@BetfairRacing) May 12, 2025

'Sad but incredibly grateful' - read Rachael's full statement here

The Betfair ambassador said: "My days of being a jockey have come to an end. 

"I feel the time is right.

"I'm sad but I'm also incredibly grateful for what my life has been for the past 16 years.

"I just feel so lucky, to have been legged up on the horses I have, and to have experienced success I never even dreamt could be possible. 

"The people to thank are endless, it's not possible to mention everyone (as I don't want this to be another book) but I'm going to get a few names in here anyway and to everyone else, you know who you are, as they say. 

"Firstly, my parents who provided me with the best childhood, and a pony I couldn't hold!

"This set the seed for a life of racing. Aidan Kennedy gave me my first ride in a point to point.

"I spent time riding out for Arthur Moore and Pat Doyle which I loved.

"Sam Curling and Liam Lennon were also big supporters as was Denise O' Shea, John Nicholson, Ellmarie Holden, Harry Smyth and Gigginstown House Stud.

"I rode my first winner for Shark Hanlon, who then helped me become Champion Conditional.

"I will be forever grateful to Shark for getting behind me, supporting me and believing in me when it would have been just as easy to look elsewhere.

"He was the catalyst for what was to come.

"A conversation between Eddie O'Leary and Henry de Bromhead in a taxi on the way to Aintree took my career to a whole new level.

"Eddie got me in the door at Knockeen, and what came next was unimaginable: Honeysuckle, A Plus Tard, Minella Indo, Captain Guinness, Bob Olinger, Minella Times, among many others... all with one thing in common - Henry de Bromhead.

"He's a phenomenal trainer, who brought out the best in me.

"Without Henry, my story is very different.

"To my sponsors over the years.

"Dornan, KPMG, Volvo, Betfair, PCI Insurance, thank you for your support.

"To Garry Cribbin, who looked after me as my agent since day one with professionalism and friendship.

"To Rebecca Matthews who managed (and hopefully will continue to manage!) the non-horse related requests.

"To Willie Mullins who provided me with success throughout my career.

"To all the team in Knockeen who do such incredible work looking after all the horses, without you and all the stable staff across the country, winners don't happen.

"To Davy Roche, who's help was invaluable when I was privileged enough to have a choice in a race. To all the amazing doctors, surgeons and physios who looked after me over the years.

"To all the wonderful owners who trusted me and gave me the opportunity to do what I love doing.

"To everyone I shared the weigh room with, I'll miss being in there with you. To all my great friends - you made winning special.

"Brian Hayes won't enjoy getting a mention, but he was more important to my career than I'll ever be able to thank him for.

"It is daunting, not being able to say that I am a jockey anymore... who even am I now! But I feel so incredibly lucky to have had the career I've had.

"To have been in the right place at the right time with the right people, and to have gotten on the right horses - because it doesn't matter how good you are without them.

"They have given me the best days of my life and to them I am most grateful."

Read more exclusively here in the coming days

There will be more to follow from Rachael in the coming days as she will exclusively reveal her decision on her retirement on Betting.Betfair.com.

Make sure to come back to find out more...

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