Award-winning filmmaker Ross Whitaker (Katie, Shane Lowry – Open) tells the remarkable tale of Rachael Blackmore’s rise to the pinnacle of horse racing and her historic year. Developed with the support of Horse Racing Ireland and produced by Fifty-Three Six, RTÉ are delighted to bring this incredible story to life.
Supported by a stellar cast of horse racing luminaries – AP McCoy, Katie Walsh, Willie Mullins, Ruby Walsh, Henry De Bromhead and Davy Russell – and her family and closest friends, Rachael tells her story in depth for the first time.
Rachael Blackmore couldn’t even dream of achieving the success that came her way this year. She reached truly historic heights claiming the leading jockey crown at the Cheltenham Festival and becoming the first ever female jockey to win the Aintree Grand National. ‘I don’t feel male or female right now. I don’t even feel human. This is just unbelievable’, Rachael famously said at the Aintree finishing post as she was broadcast on televisions all across the world.
Our story begins on a farm in Killenaule, Co. Tipperary, where Rachael enjoyed a childhood surrounded by animals and her love affair with horses began. From sitting on her first horse to winning her first pony race as a teenager, she became enthralled with speed and winning. These are the attributes that would eventually take her to the very pinnacle of her sport.
In the beginning, it can be a difficult battle for any jockey to get rides on horses. Rachael tells the story of having to ring trainers and how she managed to ride her first winner. Utilising her sleight frame and low weight as a competitive advantage, her tenacity and resilience would eventually see her granted opportunities.
There were many obstacles to overcome and doubts along the way. No woman had become a professional jockey in Ireland since the 1980s. There were those who advised her against it, yet Rachael made the decision to turn professional in 2015 on the back of just seven winners as an amateur, a surprising move but one that proved to be the correct decision for the jockey on an upward curve.
Once she had turned professional with the help of Shark Hanlon, things started to improve as her talent, skill-acquisition and hard work began to shine through. Winners didn’t always come easy and whilst there were plenty of lows, there were glimpses of magic along the way that showed this jockey had what it takes to be something special. Leading trainer Henry De Bromhead agreed and gave Rachael her chance. This was to be the beginning of an incredibly successful partnership.
As Rachael’s stock grew, so did her chances on fancied horses. She didn’t need a second invitation and the winners began to flow, most notably on the incredible mare, Honeysuckle, with whom Rachael was developing an intuitive relationship.
And so we enter Cheltenham 2021, where Rachael and Honeysuckle start the prestigious Champion Hurdle as the favourite. The pressure was momentous and the world was watching . A win in this race would be a dream for any jockey. What was to happen next was beyond anyone’s wildest imagination, especially that of Rachael’s.
Rachael would not only be successful in the Champion Hurdle in emphatic fashion, but go on to win six different races at the Cheltenham Festival before going on to win what is widely regarded as horse racing’s toughest race, The Grand National, only weeks later. In this documentary we are brought inside of the world, and the mind of Rachael during the whirlwind month where she had the world at her feet.
Even under the glow of an incredibly successful Cheltenham, we get an insight into the lows of a jockey as Rachael chooses the wrong horse in the Gold Cup and narrowly misses out to Minella Indo. This is a choice that she still battles with to this day. ‘This is a sport where you lose more than you win’.
This documentary will be a comprehensive telling of Rachael’s story so far. It will be highly dramatic when telling the story of key moments in her racing career, especially this year, but will also have a warmth around her family, background and journey.