The roar of 70,000 was a welcome noise on a first day crowned by Honeysuckle’s repeat victory in this year’s Champion Hurdle
All hail Queen Rachael Blackmore of Cheltenham, who finally got to bask in the warm, long and loud applause of her adoring public a full year after first being crowned. Her repeat victory on board Honeysuckle in this year’s Champion Hurdle meant there was no more popular winner on the opening day of the first Festival since 2020 to open its doors to the public, even if a nasty fall in the next race quickly brought her crashing back to earth.
Such is the life of a professional jockey, but her latest big race success was a genuinely heartwarming occasion to be part of. For all her modesty, Blackmore clearly enjoyed the very public acclaim that was so cruelly denied to her by circumstance last year.
