Rachael Blackmore has secured her place as the top jockey at this years Cheltenham Festival.
The Killenaule native won her sixth and final race of the week today, the Triumph Hurdle onboard Quilixious for trainer Henry De Bromhead.
She spoke to Racing TV after the race:
“All the work has been done with him in Cullentra so it’s down to them really and I was just very lucky to get on him today.
“I didn’t think we went a mad gallop but I was comfortable enough where I was.
“He felt plenty quick today and I’d say he’s a very nice horse for the future.”
Blackmore was close to making history in the Gold Cup where she came second, narrowly beaten by Minella Indo, a horse with strong Tipperary ties.
Bred by Dick Lawlor in Fethard, it was bought as a foal by John Nallen of Hotel Minella in Clonmel.
Speaking to Tipp FM, John explains the Tipperary connection to the Gold Cup winning horse:
“We bought him as a foal in Fairyhouse, he was sold by Dick Lawlor from Rathkenny in Fethard, he bred him.
“We produce 10 or 12 point-to-pointers every year, we buy foals and rare them.
“We bought him (Minella Indo) as a foal and brought him on and he won his point-to-point in Dromahane and we sold him then after he ran, that’s what we do with them.
“He would’ve been sold three years ago next week I’d say, he won in Dromahane I’d say three years ago next Sunday or last Sunday.”
