On Betfair Chase day last November, Betfair launched its one-of-a-kind charity initiative, the ‘Rachael Blackmore - Serial Winners Fund’, to benefit both the Injured Jockeys Fund and Irish Injured Jockeys.

They kicked-off the fund with an initial £100,000 donation and add a further £5,000 every time Rachael Blackmore rides a winner. The fund currently stands at £150,000 and is expected to reach £250,000 by Grand National Day, Saturday April 13th, when the fund will draw to a close.

This new weekly column seeks to shed some light on how jockeys, in both England and Ireland, have, and will continue to benefit from, the work the IIJ and the IJF do, and some of the services this contribution will go towards.

Tell us about an experience where mental strength played a crucial role in overcoming a challenging situation in your career to date.

Mentally the toughest time for me was lying in the hospital bed in Limerick after breaking my neck, wondering what was going to happen next. I spent three days staring at the ceiling, waiting to see a specialist.

I went for an X-ray initially and was told my neck was okay. However, under the guidance of Dr Jennifer Pugh I was recommended to have a CT scan which helped the doctors realise the extent of my injury.

The hard work put in before the fall helped to limit the damage and that same work ethic helped me to recover from it.

How do you maintain focus and stay resilient amid all the highs and lows?

I have a small friend and family group who are very good at shooting from the hip and telling me how it is. They have always been very honest. Oftentimes I can be told that I gave a bad ride despite winning and a good ride in defeat. I try to focus on the ride, not the result. Helps to keep me level-headed, and never lets success get the better of me.

What techniques do you use to manage stress and pressure before and during a race?

Pressure is a privilege. If you don’t have pressure you aren’t where you want to be. If you aren’t ever under pressure, you must work harder to get yourself in a position of pressure.

Stress, on the other hand, comes from a lack of preparation. The hard yards put in through preparation is the most effective way to relieve all stress.

How has the ability to bounce back from disappointments contributed to your overall success as a jockey?

Being able to bounce back from disappointments is one of the strongest points in my career. My career has been a roller coaster, with plenty of high and lows. As I got older, I naturally got too heavy and had to rebuild a career over jumps. For example, in my third ride at the Curragh, I rode off 7st 8lb, whereas now my bottom weight is 10st 2lb.

I like to ride to win rather than not to lose. It can lead to a few more losses but I would rather win plenty of races that I shouldn’t rather than trying to be safe and getting beaten at times when I probably shouldn’t have.

Are there specific mental exercises or routines you practice to enhance your mental strength?

I like to try and find something that I really don’t like and do it more. For example, I hate the cold and have started doing a lot in the cryotherapy pools for the last year or year and a half. I also love chocolate and recently went five weeks without it. In order to keep my discipline, I try to deny myself something I like and also make myself do something I don’t like.

Can you recall a race where maintaining a positive mindset was pivotal to winning?

Flooring Porter winning his second Stayers’ Hurdle. Having won the Stayers’ Hurdle in 2021 at the Cheltenham Festival, Flooring Porter was bidding to retain his title in 2022. Even though he had been pulled up at Punchestown and fell at Navan in preparation, I still went into the race thinking he couldn’t be beaten.

However, he ducked to his left at the back of the last. In a quarter of a second, I reacted by grabbing both hands on the one rein and he straightened up to win well.

How do you handle the weight of expectations, both from yourself and others?

In my opinion it comes back to pressure. In sport, if there’s no expectation on you, you have to work harder to get in a position of pressure to do what you want to do. Pressure is handled by preparation, like doing your homework and being in the best physical condition you can be.

Are you a naturally confident person or is that something you have to work hard at?

I’m a confident person on four legs but not quite on two! Put me on a racehorse and I’ll believe we can do anything.

I would describe myself as an introvert more so than an extrovert. Appearing in front of a television camera doesn’t intimidate me as it is just an inanimate physical object in the room. Walking into a room filled with 500 people would be much more uncomfortable for me.

What do you do to switch off?

It differs from time to time, I love going for a walk in the countryside with my dogs and just chilling out in general. In summer, I enjoy water sports like surfing. I tend to always like being active in a different type of way. Once I am well-rested and well-slept after a big day I like to keep myself active.

What message would you give to someone who is struggling to cope with pressure or disappointment in their professional life?

Trust the process, work hard and keep good people around you who are going to tell you exactly what you need to hear rather than what you want to hear.

Keep going, there will be plenty of bad days before there are good ones. If you believe in what you are doing you just have to trust the process.

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