sport news Rachael Blackmore shares her thoughts on Queen Mother Champion Chase prospect ... trends now
Betfair launched its one-of-a-kind charity initiative, the ‘Rachael Blackmore - Serial Winners Fund’, to benefit both the ‘Injured Jockey Fund’ and the ‘Irish Injured Jockeys’ on Betfair Chase Day last November.
They kicked-off the fund with an initial £100,000 donation and add a further £5,000 every time Rachael Blackmore rides a winner. The fund currently stands at £195,000 and is expected to reach £250,000 by Grand National Day, Saturday 13th April, when the fund will draw to a close.
Cheltenham is such a special place that Betfair will double its £5,000 donation to £10,000 for every winner Rachael rides at the Festival.
Cheltenham Wednesday
2.10 – Monty’s Star
I am really looking forward to riding Monty’s Star in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase on Wednesday.
Rachael Blackmore won the Festival's opener with Henry de Bromhead's Slade Steel
The former Grand National winner is looking to once again be named leading jockey after her success in 2021
He was good in winning his beginners’ chase on New Year’s Eve at Punchestown. His jumping was very good, and that will be a big asset here. He’s bred for it too, he’s a half-brother to Monalee, who finished second in this race in 2018.
It’s a small enough field this year, but it’s still a very good race. Fact To File looked good at Leopardstown last time and his times were impressive. Stay Away Fay is last year’s Albert Bartlett Hurdle winner, and he ran really well in the Cotswold Chase last time. But we couldn’t be happier with our lad, he travelled over well and hopefully he can go one better than his brother did.
2.50 – Ballyadam
Ballyadam always puts up a good performance, and I hope that he can put up another one here in the Coral Cup.
He has run four times at Cheltenham, and he has never been out of the first five. He went back over fences during the summer, he won his beginners’ chase at Wexford in July and, after a short break, he ran well last time in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown over almost three miles on heavy ground. Back in trip here and back on better ground, hopefully he can run another good race.
