Rachael Blackmore was momentarily stuck for words as she considered the question, which had been posed by ITV’s Gabriel Clarke. There is always a knot in the stomach on Grand National morning, a fear that a calamity will unfold and provide those who detest the spectacle with ammunition to lambast it. But Blackmore’s history-making ride has given this great race — and sport as a whole — the kind of positive exposure that no marketing campaign could conjure. She is a pioneer, someone with the rare ability to transcend boundaries and get people from outside excited and interested. She proved it that opening day, when giving the flamboyant Honeysuckle a faultless ride in the Mares Hurdle.

Source: The Nation April 10, 2021 22:41 UTC