The Cheltenham Festival’s leading jockey for 2021, Rachael Blackmore, has been nominated for a World Sport Star title in the BBCSports Personality of the Year awards which are to take place this month.
Claiming victory in the Champion Hurdle with Honeysuckle, she also had five more winners at the illustrious competition and therefore is among the favourites to pip the honour come the live show on December the 19th.
Voting closes five days earlier at 1pm on the 14th, with five other contestants on the ballot too, including boxer Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, American footballer Tom Brady, tennis player Novak Djokovic, sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah and racing driver Max Verstappen.
Blackmore, who also became the first woman to ride the winner of the Randox Grand National this year on Minella Times, remarked after the infamous triumph that she didn’t “feel male or female right now. I don’t even feel human.”
“I cannot believe it,” she said.
“He gave me an absolutely sensational spin. I’m so lucky to be riding him and I can’t believe we’ve just won the Grand National, it’s unbelievable.”
“He was incredible and jumped beautifully and I was trying to wait for as long as I could. When we jumped the last and I asked him for a bit he was there.”
“This is a massive deal for me personally, not the fact I’m a female. The thing that hit me when I crossed the line was that I’d won the National, not that I’m the first female to win the National. I’m just delighted.”
We’re delighted to announce the nominees for the World Sport Star award at BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2021!
⭐ Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez
⭐ Rachael Blackmore
⭐ Tom Brady
⭐ Novak Djokovic
⭐ Elaine Thompson-Herah
⭐ Max VerstappenVote for your winner now #SPOTY ⤵
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 6, 2021