Cheltenham Festival 2023: Rachael Blackmore Horses To Follow

Rachael Blackmore has been smashing down barriers on the sport’s biggest stage in recent years but what are her prospects of creating more history at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival?

Blackmore became the first female rider to win the Gold Cup in 2022 when A Plus Tard bolted up in the Cheltenham Festival’s blue-riband event. 

Both horse and rider are back to defend their crown and although A Plus Tard’s season hasn’t gone according to plan, the tide might just be turning in his favour in the nick of time. More on him below.

Check Out The Latest Cheltenham Offers

Blackmore hit the big-time in 2021 when she became leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival with six winners, one of which was aboard Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle. 

The following month, the rider went on to become the first female jockey to win the Grand National.

She’s ridden 12 festival winners in all, and the 33-year-old jockey is back in 2023 to add to that number. So, which horses are most likely to carry Blackmore into that famous Cheltenham Winners’ Enclosure?

Honeysuckle Could Bow Out With A Bang

Just minutes after the new Champion Hurdler is crowned, the old one will bow out of a sport she has graced. 

Honeysuckle has won the last two Champion Hurdles but she has been beaten twice this season and connections have taken the decision to switch back to the Mares’ Hurdle in order to give the 9-year-old the best possible chance of ending her career with a win.

However, with the likes of Epatante, Echoes In Rain and Love Envoi in opposition, this is no cakewalk for Kenny Alexander’s 16-time winner. 

Honeysuckle’s form hasn’t dropped off a cliff this term, she’s run well in Grade 1’s against horses that are strong contenders in championship races this week, and official ratings give her a bit of a cushion in this contest.

Time will tell how reliable a guide they are, especially as the likes of Love Envoi have the potential to rate a fair bit higher, but if Honeysuckle can just maintain the level of form she has shown this season, she will surely go close in this company. 

A Plus Tard Work Reports Are Positive

If the same version of A Plus Tard turns up at Cheltenham on Friday as the one that won the Gold Cup by a thumping 15 lengths in 2022, then Galopin Des Champs backers need to be worried.

How likely is that? It’s very difficult to gauge from the outside but Blackmore recently said in an interview with RTE that the reigning champion is ‘really starting to come back to the horse that we were hoping he would be at this time of year.’

A Plus Tard hasn’t been seen since his aborted mission in the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November and big race trends tell you that very few horses win a Gold Cup having been off the track for that length of time. 

However, we saw just how good he can be 12 months ago and he’s trained by a master in Henry De Bromhead, so don’t be surprised if this horse is back to his best for the big day.

The roof will come off Cheltenham if Blackmore can guide Honeysuckle to a final big-race success.

Allen Could Surprise In Ryanair

Rachael Blackmore will be looking forward to getting on Envoi Allen in the Ryanair Chase and for all that this horse has become a little difficult to predict, he undoubtedly has the talent to run a big race.

The Ryanair trip looks close to his optimum nowadays and although he ran no sort of race in the King George last time, it’s worth remembering that he won a Grade 1 at Down Royal in November, taking some notable scalps. 

The worry for Envoi Allen fans is the weather. Connections think Envoi Allen can run a big race in the Ryanair but it’s more likely to happen if the ground is on the drier side, which is becoming less and less likely.

Blackmore Has Some Smart Novices To Ride

Henry De Bromhead has some very nice young horses travelling over to Prestbury Park and it would be no surprise if a couple of them hit the target.

The most likely, according to the Cheltenham odds, is probably the pair that run in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. 

Blackmore rode Hiddenvalley Lake when he was narrowly beaten by stablemate Monty’s Star at Clonmel and, with so little between the pair, she’s likely to stick with the Robcour-owned 6-year-old.

There is room for improvement in Hiddenvalley Lake’s jumping, but he’s only run three times under rules and already looks a proper stayer in the making. 

He’ll relish any give in the ground and certainly won’t be beaten for stamina – he’s got a good chance in an open race.

The same owners’ Foxy Girl appears to have her work cut out against the likes of Luccia in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle but this lightly-raced improver powered away from a subsequent winner at Limerick when last seen and her slick jumping looks a real asset. 

She appears to have been kept back for a tilt at this prize, which makes perfect sense given the race is being run in memory of Jack De Bromhead, and she might just run bigger than her double-figure odds suggest.

Journey With Me was edged out by Impervious in a Punchestown Grade 3 last time but that rival is the most likely winner of the Mares’ Chase and the front two pulled 22 lengths clear of the remainder that day.

Journey With Me could do with settling better early on but if he does, then he has the potential to run better than his 25/1 odds suggest in the Turners Novices’ Chase.

Blackmore could partner the JP McManus-owned Inthepocket in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on the opening day.

If he runs, he’ll be a biggish price, but he’s a progressive horse who posted a career-best in defeat behind Il Etait Temps in the Grade 1 Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle where a mistake two-out hit his momentum. 

He obviously needs plenty more to win a race like this but he could easily run into the frame at a decent price.

Daze Could Take Some Passing

Magic Daze is a horse that connections will surely be looking forward to running but we don’t yet know whether she will run in the Mares’ Chase or go the handicap route in the Grand Annual. On betting sites she’s around a 10/1 chance for both at this stage. 

Magic Daze produced a career-best performance in hammering Dinoblue by three lengths in a Mares’ Listed chase at Naas last month, where her slick jumping proved a real asset. 

She tends to lead or race prominently, so will be there to be shot at, but she stays well and will take some passing in whichever race she runs in. She rates as one of Rachael Blackmore’s strongest chances of the week.