Rachael Blackmore was back in the winners enclosure this evening after she rode Zeffanien to victory in the 5.30 McGrath Limestone Works Handicap Hurdle at Ballinrobe.
The Tipperary jockey sealed the win on board the Denis Hogan-trained 6/5 favourite, less than a week removed from her Grand National heroics.
The 31-year-old was back to work at Fairyhouse earlier this week and rode 5/1 shot Somptueux to win the Follow Fairyhouse Rated Novice Steeplechase.
The wins move Blackmore within eight victories from Paul Townend in the battle to be crowned top jockey, with the defending champion currently injured.
With several rides planned for Tramore on Sunday, Blackmore could make further moves to reel in Willie Mullins' stable jockey in the race for the title - which ends at the Punchestown Festival on May 1.
Speaking about her Grand National win this week, Blackmore said: “It’s still hard to process it all, to be honest. It’s been unbelievable.
“I was meant to fly home on Saturday night, but I missed my flight so I came home on the boat on Sunday and got home on Sunday evening.
“I genuinely lay awake in bed all night on Saturday. I was completely exhausted and got into bed thinking I was going to have a great night’s sleep, but I just could not shut down. I’ve been catching up on sleep ever since!
“I just couldn’t believe what had happened, I suppose. Your adrenaline would still be up and you’d be thinking about what was one of the biggest days of my life, so sleep just wouldn’t allow!”
Blackmore is well used to big-race success, but admits the feeling of winning the National on the Henry de Bromhead-trained Minella Times was different to anything she has experienced before.
“It’s a very exciting race to be part of,” she told the PA news agency.
“I’d ridden Minella Times before, and he’s a beautiful horse to ride who jumps really well, so I was looking forward to going over the National fences with him.
“There’s a lot of anticipation in the build-up to the National. It’s so unique – 40 horses and 30 jumps. I suppose excitement was the overriding emotion on Saturday morning.
“You know very quickly if a horse is taking to the fences or not, and Minella Times absolutely took to them. After we jumped two or three fences, I knew he was really enjoying himself, and we got a fantastic passage around.
“Once you’ve got over The Chair and the water jump, you can kind of take a breath then as you’ve got over everything and you just have to go and do it once more!”
