Rachael Blackmore dedicates Cheltenham Festival win to her late cousin on day of his funeral

Rachael Blackmore dedicated her victory on Air Of Entitlement to her late cousin as she won the Mares' Novices' Hurdle on the day of his funeral.

The jockey rode the 16/1 shot to victory in the 2m1f contest for trainer Henry de Bromhead as she tasted success at the Festival for the 17th time.

Blackmore dedicated the win to her cousin Robert Blackmore, whose funeral took place in Kilkenny on Thursday.

She said: "I want to dedicate this to my cousin, Robert Blackmore, who passed away at the weekend, his funeral is today, so I want to dedicate this to him.”

She continued: “We (the de Bromhead team) have had a quieter [first] two days. Walking home on Tuesday, I feel I’ve be spoilt the last couple of years getting to go home with a winner on the Tuesday. Henry just does such an incredible job with them when he brings them over here for Cheltenham, they all run above themselves and I’m very lucky to be on some of their backs.”

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Blackmore swooped late on Air Of Entitlement as she delivered the six-year-old in a power-packed drive to edge a half-length victory over market leader Sixandahalf.

The 35-year-old added: “It’s an incredible feeling. I read in an interview that JP McManus said some people are luckier than others and I definitely feel like I was born luckier going round here.

“I’ve been so lucky with the horses I’ve got to ride and she’s just another one. Henry brings his horses over here in such incredible form. They all come over here and run above themselves.

“She was just phenomenal there. She travelled through the race, she jumped well. She just got her head in front when it was the right time.

"I knew through the last that she was picking up and picking up. I thought we'd pick up all the way to the line whether we were going to get there in time or not. I didn't know.

"Just as I really got stuck into during the last... I could really tell she was trying. I was hoping the line would meet us at the right time."

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