Returning heroes Rachael Blackmore and Jack Kennedy were treated to a rapturous applause at Thurles Racecourse today.
The Irish jockeys lit up this week's Cheltenham Festival riding ten winners between them including seven Grade 1 races.
Blackmore won the top jockey's award at the meeting with Honeysuckle's win in the Champion Hurdle and Quilixios' victory in the Triumph Hurdle bookending six winners for the 31-year-old.
The Tipperary woman also nearly won the Gold Cup only to finish second behind Minella Indo who was ridden to victory by 21-year-old Kennedy.
Kerryman, despite suffering a fall on red-hot favourite Envoi Allen, enjoy a great week that culminated in a win in the sport's most prestigious race.
There was no time for much celebrating for the pair, though, with both riders getting straight back to work at Thurles today.
But in great scenes the jockeys' heroics were recognised with a rousing round of applause by their colleagues at the Tipperary venue.
Kennedy then picked up where he left off at Cheltenham by winning the See You In October Hurdle on the Denise Foster-trained Commander Of Fleet (15/8).
"Yesterday was unbelievable and I'm still on cloud nine. The phone nearly blew up - I had close to 300 messages," revealed Kennedy after the race, as reported on Irish-Racing.com.
"I never really had a moment's worry throughout the race and while he was pulling up on the run-in, it was idleness and he had his ears pricked and when he heard A Plus Tard coming to him he pulled out again.
"Everyone at home was thrilled and it was great."
