It was back in October 2018 that Rachael Blackmore won her first sportswoman of the month award after pushing Paul Townend all the way in the battle for the Irish jump jockey championship. She shared the prize that month with Katie Taylor after she had added the IBF lightweight crown to her collection of titles.
At that point, though, in terms of recognition, Blackmore was well in Taylor’s shade, not too many outside the world of horse racing familiar with her talents.
Now, less than five years on, you would have to conclude that anyone who has not heard of her must be living on Jupiter. You don’t, for example, win the BBC World Sport Star of the Year, as she did in 2021, unless you are a grade A superstar.
While it would be easy enough to lose track of the number of memorable days Blackmore has enjoyed since that first award – among them, of course, the winning of the Grand National on Minella Times and the Cheltenham Gold Cup on A Plus Tard – it was her partnership with Honeysuckle that probably most captured the public’s imagination, and earned them both no little affection.
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So, Honeysuckle’s final race, at Cheltenham last month, was always going to be an emotional affair. We did not realise, though, just how emotional it would be.
Having lost her unbeaten record back in December, and losing again in February, Honeysuckle’s connections opted to run her in the Mares’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, rather than defend her Champion Hurdle crown, deciding that this would be her last hurrah.
As our own Brian O’Connor put it about her length and a half winning margin over Love Envoi, “perfection might be overrated but it’s rarely felt better than when Honeysuckle brought the curtain down on her superb career with a hugely emotional victory at Cheltenham… as fairy-tale farewells go, it was hard to top”.
And it was made all the more emotional because of what trainer Henry de Bromhead, his wife Heather and their family had endured with the loss of their son Jack in November, and Blackmore’s first thoughts were for the 13-year-old after the race. “We all wish a very special kid could be here today but he’s watching down on us,” she said.
The reception both horse and jockey received as they headed for the parade ring was one for the ages.
“I’m so grateful,” said Blackmore. “She is just a phenomenal mare. It is incredible what she has done for me, but it is incredible what she has done for all of us. You dream of being involved with something like her.”
Name recognition for horse and jockey? Through the roof.
Previous monthly winners (the awards run from December 2022 to November 2023, inclusive):
December: Eilish and Roisin Flanagan (Athletics)
The combined efforts of the Tyrone twins, who finished in 11th and 12th place, helped Ireland to a bronze medal at the European Cross Country Championships in Italy, despite being without Fionnuala McCormack and Ciara Mageean.
January: Rhasidat Adeleke (Athletics)
The Tallaght runner has had a simply phenomenal start to the year – if we listed all our record-breaking feats, we would be here until December. Taking over a second off the 21-year-old Irish indoor 400m mark, and then lowering it again, has been one of the many highlights.
February: Orla Prendergast (Cricket)
The 20-year-old was named in the T20 World Cup team of the tournament after impressing with both bat and ball for Ireland, the highlight her innings of 61 against the West Indies.
