Rachael Blackmore provides the inside track on her five rides at Fairyhouse and Naas this weekend – including Champagne Mahler seeking to build on impressive win


  • Betfair has launched an initiative – the ‘Rachael Blackmore – Serial Winners Fund’
  • Rachael Blackmore has two rides at Naas and three at Fairyhouse this weekend
  • Champagne Mahler claimed an impressive front-running victory last month

A very productive week for Rachael Blackmore and the ‘Serial Winners Fund’ with a further £15,000 added to the pot courtesy of wins on Majestic Force, Senior Chief and Lantry Lady. 

The fund currently stands at £175,000 and is comfortably heading for the £250,000 mark.

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 £175,000 and is expected to reach £250,000 by Grand National Day, Saturday 13th April, when the fund will draw to a close.

Rachael Blackmore has two rides at Naas and three rides at Fairyhouse this weekend

Rachael Blackmore has two rides at Naas and three rides at Fairyhouse this weekend

Fairyhouse (Saturday)

1.30 – Theatre Native

Theatre Native was disappointing on her hurdling debut at Clonmel in November, but her bloods were wrong afterwards, it just wasn’t her running. She has had a nice break since then, and she is in good form at home now.

It looked like she was going to win her point-to-point for Donnchadh Doyle, she was clear at the last when she fell. She is a nice mare, she has been working well, and hopefully she can put her last run behind her.

4.25 – Brampton Belle

Brampton Belle hasn’t run since November either, but she is also in good order at home. She wears cheekpieces for the first time here, and I think that they will help her, they could help her sharpen up her jumping.

She ran well at Galway on her seasonal debut, she stayed on well to finish third in a two-mile-six-a-half-furlong handicap chase. She is stepping up in trip here, but she stays well and she goes well on the ground, so I hope that she can go well.

Naas (Sunday)

2.25 – Shantreusse

Shantreusse ran well for a long way in the Thyestes Chase, but it looked like he maybe didn’t fully get home. He is back in trip here to two and a half miles.

He won a Grade 3 race over three miles on heavy ground as a novice hurdler, but he ran well over this trip at Navan on his seasonal debut, so hopefully he can get back on track here.

3.25 – Champagne Mahler

Champagne Mahler won well at Gowran Park last time, and the race is working out well already, with the runner-up winning last week at Clonmel off a 2lb higher mark. He seemed to love the ground and the trip there, and he is back over the same trip and on similar ground here.

Champagne Mahler claimed an impressive front-running victory at Gowran Park last month

Champagne Mahler claimed an impressive front-running victory at Gowran Park last month

He is 11lb higher in the handicap now than he was then, and he is up in grade, but he is progressive and he goes into the race in good form.

3.55 – Ladybank

Ladybank is a nice mare. She dead-heated with Princess Zoe in a maiden hurdle over two and a half miles at Punchestown last year, and she took her chance in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.

She was well beaten on her debut this season in October over two miles, and she hasn’t run since, but we hope that there is a lot more to come from her. She runs in a first-time tongue-tie here, which should help, and the step up in trip should suit. She has a nice light weight and hopefully she can run a good race.



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