RACHAEL BLACKMORE has become the first female rider to win the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup on A Plus Tard
The Henry de Bromhead Rachael Blackmore duo came up trumps again capping of a momentus Cheltenham festival for the pair.
She trailed last year's winner Minella Indo, but raced clear after the final two fences to win by 15 lengths.
It was a victory that meant trainer Henry De Bromhead completed the Champion Hurdle - Gold Cup double for the second successive season.
Blackmore told ITV Racing:
“I just can’t believe it. I’m so lucky to be getting to ride all these kind of horses. You can’t do this without the horses and being attached to Henry’s yard is just absolutely phenomenal. To give me this horse is unbelievable I don’t know what to say.
I’ve had so many special days. I wouldn’t swap the Grand National for anything but this is the Gold Cup. I wish I had something better to say right now. I just can’t.
“You have all these plans about how things are going to work out. Racing doesn’t let that happen all the time and for some reason it’s happened to me today. I just can’t explain how lucky I feel.”
Richard Thompson, of winningowners Cheveley Park Stud, said:
“We’ve been talking about this moment, and it’s happened. It’s absolutely fantastic to win the Gold Cup. Incredible. My father would have loved it, he watched the Gold Cup for many years and to actually win it is incredible. I can’t even speak.
“I did feel she was a bit far back, but I knew she had a gameplan – she has totally delivered. What a day for racing.”
