Rachael Blackmore returns to Cheltenham not riding, reveals baby joy
Rachael Blackmore will be at the Cheltenham Festival later today for the first time since she hung up her stirrups last May, and has spoken openly about the joy of expecting her first child. Her presence as Head of Ladies’ Day and as a public figure who has named a four-horse 70-1 accumulator reveals she remains influential at Prestbury Park despite no longer racing.
Rachael Blackmore’s Cheltenham return
Blackmore will attend the four-day Cheltenham Festival at Prestbury Park for the first time since she retired in May and will act in a public role on Ladies’ Day rather than riding in the weighing room. The pattern suggests her return is intended to preserve a public connection to the Festival while shifting her day-to-day role from competitor to ambassador.
Brian Hayes and pregnancy news
Since retiring, Rachael Blackmore has married fellow jockey Brian Hayes, 37, and last month announced they are expecting their first baby. That sequence — marriage then the pregnancy announcement in February — helps explain why she stopped riding for pleasure and why attending Cheltenham without a saddle may be emotionally charged for her.
Majborough and The New Lion tips
Blackmore has publicly picked four horses she thinks will win at the Festival: Majborough, Fact To File, Bob Olinger and The New Lion, which combine into a 70-1 accumulator. Majborough is quoted at 4-5, Fact To File at 1-2, Bob Olinger at 6-1 and The New Lion at 11-4, and the figures point to a mix of heavy favourites and longer-priced runners that together create that 70-1 outcome.
She also singled out a 20-1 each-way tip for the Gold Cup and said Envoi Allen looks a strong each-way contender for that feature; these specific betting suggestions underline that, even in retirement, Blackmore’s opinions carry weight with punters and Festival followers.
Blackmore leaves a strong competitive legacy at Prestbury Park, having notched 18 Festival winners during her career and being the first woman to win both the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Grand National. The facts show she called time on her riding last May, and her ongoing Festival roles are a direct consequence of that retirement and of her public profile built on those 18 victories.
For now, the confirmed next development is her appearance at the four-day Cheltenham Festival at Prestbury Park later today, where she will serve as Head of Ladies’ Day for the 2026 renewal in an effort to boost female attendance. If she participates in Ladies’ Day activities in person, the pattern suggests her presence will be used to maintain her public profile and to drive interest among the female audience the role targets.
