Rachael Blackmore makes Cheltenham Gold Cup history on A Plus Tard
Blackmore becomes the first woman to ride a Gold Cup winner, adding to her two Champion Hurdles and the Grand National

Rachael Blackmore etched herself further into racing folklore as she added the Cheltenham Gold Cup to last yearās Grand National in guiding A Plus Tard to a runaway success in chasingās blue riband.
Not everything had gone right for A Plus Tard in last yearās Gold Cup when finishing runner-up to Henry de Bromhead-trained stablemate Minella Indo and the queen of jump jockeys felt she had unfinished business, having picked the wrong horse.
So it proved, as the 3-1 favourite left last yearās winner in his wake following a ride timed to perfection.
Stuck behind a wall of horses turning in, Blackmore was patient and came between Protektorat and dual winner Al Boum Photo to hunt down defending champion Minella Indo, who had four lengths to spare jumping the penultimate fence.
Yet Blackmore, who became the first woman to ride a Gold Cup winner, adding to her two Champion Hurdles and the National, used A Plus Tardās pace to perfection and she jumped to the front over the last and powered clear.

The easy early pace, set by Asterion Forlonge and Aye Right, certainly helped the eight-year-old, who was going clear at the finish, recording a 15-length success from Minella Indo, with the Dan Skelton-trained Protektorat nosing out Galvin for third, some two and a half lengths behind the runner-up.
The Tipperary jockey told ITV Racing: āI just canāt believe it. Iām so lucky to be getting to ride all these kind of horses.
āYou canāt do this without the horses and being attached to Henryās yard is just absolutely phenomenal. To give me this horse is unbelievable I donāt know what to say.
āIāve had so many special days. I wouldnāt swap the Grand National for anything, but this is the Gold Cup. I wish I had something better to say right now. I just canāt.
āYou have all these plans about how things are going to work out. Racing doesnāt let that happen all the time and for some reason itās happened to me today. I just canāt explain how lucky I feel.ā
De Bromhead said: āThe class of him there ā he was so impressive and Indo ran an absolute blinder as well, he really did. He was brilliant as well. Itās incredible stuff.
āRachael was brilliant on him. Rachael was so brave, the way she went about it, it was brilliant.

āShe was really brave. Iāve kind of got to that stage that if itās going to happen, itās going to happen. They both got a lovely passage. Robbie [Power] was brilliant on Indo and Rachael amazing on A Plus Tard.
āIt definitely does [feel different this year], just the crowds looking here at the stand ā itās just incredible. This is what itās all about.
āIt was amazing to win it last year, but itās triple amazing this year with all the people here.ā
Richard Thompson, of owners Cheveley Park Stud, said: āWeāve been talking about this moment, and itās happened. Itās absolutely fantastic to win the Gold Cup. Incredible.
āMy father [the late David Thompson] would have loved it, he watched the Gold Cup for many years and to actually win it is incredible. I canāt even speak.
āI did feel she was a bit far back, but I knew she had a gameplan ā she has totally delivered. What a day for racing.ā
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