By Andrew Atkinson
Aintree 2021 Grand National winning jockey Rachael Blackmore is set for a spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery after sustaining injury.
Blackmore, 32, the most successful female jockey in National Hunt racing and the first woman to win the Aintree Grand National, fractured an ankle and hip at Killarney on July 15.
At the time of her injury she was leading the jump jockeys’ championship in Ireland with 22 winners for the season.
Blackmore is said to be in ‘good spirits’ having fallen from Merry Poppins in the 2m 4f handicap hurdle at Killarney where she was attended to by medical staff and later taken to Tralee Hospital where she underwent surgery.
The IHRB’s senior medical officer, Jennifer Pugh said: “Rachael sustained a fractured ankle and hip injury following her fall. She has had surgery and is in good spirits.”
Blackmore, who made history on 11-1 shot Minella Times trained by Henry de Bromhead in the 2021 Randox Aintree Grand National, will miss the Galway summer festival this month and scheduled to return in the autumn.
Blackmore rode six winners at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival in March becoming the leading rider, that included Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle.
