Rachael Blackmore lands Cheltenham role

The groundbreaking former rider Rachael Blackmore will take up a new role as Head of Ladies Day at the Cheltenham Festival as the track aim to attract more female racegoers.

Data collated by the Jockey Club shows only a quarter of Cheltenham attendees across the season are female, a lower figure than the general 39 per cent average throughout jump tracks according to separate research undertaken by the Racecourse Association and Great British Racing.

To remedy this the racecourse are reintroducing Ladies Day at the Festival, a concept they previously moved away from in 2019, with Blackmore at the helm as they seek to expand their appeal to women.

Blackmore, winner of countless top-level races including the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National, said: “It is going to be a very different experience going racing and not heading for the weighing room, but I’m looking forward to seeing what race days are like from the other side of the rails and working with the team at Cheltenham.

“I’m interested in meeting racegoers to get a proper understanding of why they attend but also what some of the blockers and barriers might be that are stopping their friends and peers from coming.

“Horseracing is an amazing sport and a day at the races provides so much opportunity for people to socialise with friends and meet new people. I’m excited to get involved and see what can be done to engage more women and show them what makes a day at the races such a special and unforgettable experience.”

Guy Lavender, chief executive of Cheltenham, added: “Rachael is a household name whose success and passion for horse racing resonates not only with racing fans and aficionados but general sports fans and even wider audiences.

“We’ve been evaluating customer data and feedback and what really stood out was the opportunity to grow our female fan base. From there we’ve been developing a campaign aimed at encouraging more women to attend race days and Rachael is exactly the kind of aspirational figure we hope will attract a new fan base to the sport.

“Rachael’s groundbreaking success on the track, combined with her growing status as a role model beyond the sport and popularity with people of all ages, make her the ideal ambassador to connect the Cheltenham Festival with a new, female-focused audience.

“Her achievements transcended racing and resulted in headlines around the world and awards like the BBC World Sports Star at the prestigious Sports Personality of the Year Awards in 2021. We’re excited to be working with her to identify what initiatives and incentives would encourage more women to come racing and to promote the sport, Cheltenham Racecourse and The Festival specifically, as being for everyone.”