Rachael Blackmore taken to hospital after nasty Killarney fall

Rachael Blackmore has been taken to hospital for further assessment on an upper leg injury after suffering a horrible fall at Killarney on Friday.

The Grand National-winning jockey, who was leading rider at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, was riding the James Motherway-trained Merry Poppins in the 2m4f handicap hurdle (3.25pm) when the 11-10 favourite fell at the fifth hurdle.

Blackmore, who turned 32 last Sunday, was attended to for a lengthy period of time by medical personnel on the track after the race which caused a delay to the remainder of the card.

A tweet posted on the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board's (IHRB) Twitter page, with an update from Dr. Richard Downey at Killarney, said:

"Rachael Blackmore is being taken to Tralee Hospital for further assessment on an upper leg injury following a fall in Race 4 at Killarney. She is fully conscious.”

Blackmore was chasing a treble having guided the Henry de Bromhead-trained Leac An Scail Lady to victory in the opener on the final day of Killarney’s July Festival, and also Baltinglass Hill in division two of the 2m1f handicap hurdle.

In March, Blackmore became the first woman to ride the winner of the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, aboard the brilliant mare Honeysuckle, and was one of an incredible six victories at the Cheltenham Festival for the leading Irish rider.

The following month her profile reached stratospheric levels after she became the first woman to land the world’s most famous steeplechase at Aintree aboard Minella Times.