July Flower provided Rachael Blackmore with her first winner since returning from injury in the Beat The Bank.ie Irish EBF Mares Hurdle at Leopardstown.
The Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning jockey was sidelined for three months after suffering a neck injury in a fall at Downpatrick in September.
Blackmore returned to action at Naas two weeks ago and had since had 16 rides without success.
The Henry de Bromhead-trained July Flower was a 15-2 shot to get her back in the winner's enclosure at Grade Three level and rounded the home turn in third place behind the strong-travelling Kala Conti.
Blackmore’s mount took over going around the dolled-off final flight and while Kala Conti tried her best to stay in the race, July Flower kicked clear late on to register a four-length verdict.
Rachael Blackmore back in the winner's enclosure as July Flower wins the Grade 3 Irish EBF Mares Hurdle at #Leopardstown. Watch live on @RTE2 and @RTEPlayer #RTEsport pic.twitter.com/iKeRSOTMMI
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) December 29, 2024
"It is just lovely to get one again, it’s brilliant. Everyone wants to be riding winners at a festival like this and it’s great to get it done," said Blackmore.
"I feel like I was off for a long time – I was off for a long time. It’s brilliant to get back doing what you want to be doing."
Reflecting on her injury, she added: "It was a bone in my neck up high, so it was quite serious. Ordinarily if you’re feeling good and you can do certain movements doctors are happy to go with you, but they were obviously being very cautious when it is your neck.
"Stupidly I kept setting myself an unachievable target over the three months and the doctors kept saying I had to sit out my time. Being back for Christmas is important, so at least I got back for that."
'It's brilliant’ - Rachael Blackmore cuts a happy figure after landing her first winner since returning from injury on July Flower. Watch Day 3 of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival live now on @RTE2 and @RTEPlayer #RTEsport pic.twitter.com/MMSbE4j8FV
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) December 29, 2024
Of July Flower, De Bromhead added: "She jumped great and Rachael was brilliant on her.
"I’m delighted for Duncan (Angove, owner) who was happy to buy her during the summer and obviously she’s a valuable broodmare as well.
"We had her when she was a younger mare and we liked her then, so when she came back on the market we were delighted to get her.
"We bought her to win the Mares’ Hurdle (at Cheltenham) so the dream is alive and we’ll probably head straight there now."
Daryl Jacob brought the curtain down on his illustrious riding career by finishing down the field aboard Mr Percy in the Neville Hotels Premier Handicap Hurdle at Leopardstown.
The 41-year-old announced his retirement after steering the Willie Mullins-trained Impaire Et Passe to Grade One glory in the Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick on Saturday, confirming that his solitary ride on the fourth and final day of Leopardstown's Christmas Festival would be his last.
Mr Percy, who carries the familiar colours of the rider’s retaining owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, was a 15-2 shot to give him a fairytale send-off but was unable to get involved, passing the post 12th of 18 finishers.
Al Gasparo was a 20-1 winner of the race for trainer Gavin Cromwell and 5lb claimer Conor Stone-Walsh.
Cromwell said: "I'd say it's important for him to be fresh. He’s good when he gets into that rhythm and gets it easy on his own. It was a good performance.
"It’s in the lap of the handicapper now but he’s a lad that will jump a fence."
Nevertheless, having suffered more than his fair share of injuries – only recently returning from his latest spell on the sidelines – Jacob was delighted to go out on his terms at a track where he enjoyed his first top-level triumph aboard The Listener in the Lexus Chase at this meeting 18 years ago.
"I’m feeling great. I’ve been around an awful long time and it’s very special to come to Leopardstown today," Jacob said earlier in the day.
"It’s the place where I had my first Grade One winner, a place that’s always been very close to my heart and one of the most beautiful tracks in the world to ride around.
"It just felt right after riding Impaire Et Passe yesterday. It’s what I’ve worked so hard for, coming back from all those shoulder injuries, especially the last one as it was a complicated one.
"I’ve worked incredibly hard in Oaksey House with all the team there and I just wanted that one opportunity to ride a Grade One winner. When I rode him yesterday and went over the line, with all those emotions, to me it just feels like the perfect ending."
Daryl Jacob will retire after the 1505 at Leopardstown today. The Aintree Grand National winner explains that he decided to go out at the top after leading Impaire Et Passe to Grade One victory at Limerick yesterday
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) December 29, 2024
📺 Watch #Leopardstown live on @RTE2 and @RTEPlayer pic.twitter.com/sEqAZWNAJe
Jacob has enjoyed huge success in the saddle, including a thrilling victory in the 2012 Grand National when Neptune Collonges denied Sunnyhillboy by a nose.
The Listener provided him with three Grade One wins in Ireland, with his Lexus success followed by victories in the 2007 John Durkan and the 2008 Hennessy Gold Cup.
More recently he has enjoyed a fruitful association with the likes of three-time Betfair Chase winner Bristol De Mai and Sceau Royal, aboard whom he won 15 races.
Reflecting on that first Grade One win on The Listener in 2006, Jacob added: "I was only a claimer at the time and it took a huge amount of confidence from the boss Robert Alner and Sally Alner to put me on a Grade One horse coming over from England to Ireland.
"There were a lot of very good staying chasers in England at the time and it took an awful lot of courage to put me on the horse with very little experience of riding in Grade Ones.
"It’s been an extraordinary career and I never dreamed of the things that I’ve achieved. I’ve been very, very lucky. I’ve had so many people that have directed me and channelled me in the right direction. I’ve had a great team around me my whole career and I’m very grateful.
"Neptune Collonges was a special horse and the only time I ever rode him was in the Grand National. He was a Gold Cup horse and a brilliant stayer and a great jumper. He had a big heart and to win that Grand National that day he needed every bit of courage that he had.
"L’Ami Serge winning the French Champion Hurdle was a huge thrill and Bristol De Mai was an unbelievable horse. Nigel Twiston-Davies and his team did a fantastic job with him – I can’t explain how well they managed that horse’s career and I was just very lucky to be person that got to ride him.
"I loved Sceau Royal so much – I owe so much to him. He had this wonderful attitude, he was a warrior and like a little terrier. He loved to have a ding-dong with other horses."
Jacob confirmed he will continue to work for Munir and Souede and is predicting a bright future.
He said: "I genuinely believe that I’m going out and we’re in a really good position.
"Obviously JJ (Slevin) is going to ride an awful lot of our horses now and Danny (Mullins), Brian Hayes and Ben Bromley. There’s loads of lads that are going ride plenty of these horses now.
"I think the future is really exciting for the double green. I love going into all the yards and sitting on the horses and giving my little bit of feedback to Simon and Isaac and I’ll continue to do that and represent them whenever they’d like me to represent them.
"I think the most important thing I’ll take out of it (my career) is having the support of Simon and Isaac. Eleven years is a long time and we’re closer now than we ever were, that’s something I’m very proud of."
The Enabler resisted the late surge of I Am Lorenzo to provide Gordon Elliott with his 2,000th Irish National Hunt winner in the Grant Fit Out Maiden Hurdle.
A field of 10 runners went to post for the opening contest on the fourth and final day of the Christmas Festival, with Argento Boy the 8-13 favourite for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend in the colours of Galopin Des Champs.
However, he was a spent force from the home turn, whereas The Enabler – second to Argento Boy's Champion Bumper-winning stablemate Jasmin De Vaux at Navan three weeks ago – galloped on strongly up the straight in the hands of Sam Ewing.
I Am Lorenzo was the one finishing best from the final flight and almost joined The Enabler on the line, but the judge confirmed the latter had held on by a short head.
"He was good and just got a bit close to the last. I’m not sure what his trip is as he wasn’t getting home over three miles and two miles looked too short," said Elliott.
"Michael and Anita (O’Leary) are racing here today and it’s great to get them a winner. He looks a chaser for next year."
On reaching his latest milestone, the trainer added: "You dream about doing something like that but it’s a testament to all the owners and our staff.
"We have a great bunch of young horses and we have been rebuilding for the last couple of years."
Ol Man Dingle completed his hat-trick in some style in the SIS Supporting Irish Racing Irish EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle.
Despite successive October wins at Clonmel and Wexford respectively, Eoin Griffin’s charge appeared to a face a stiffer task on his return to action and was priced up accordingly at 20-1.
However, the five-year-old continued his progress with a dominant display under Ricky Doyle, scoring by four and three-quarter lengths from 11-8 favourite Taponthego.
"Brian (Caherty, owner) has a big crowd down with him from Armagh and I’m delighted for him," said Griffin.
"We had him kind of laid out for this race. He hadn’t run for a while as we gave him a little break. You are always a little bit apprehensive if you have done enough or given him too much time off, but I couldn’t have been happier with him coming here.
"This was his mid-season target, so we’ll have to reassess things from here."
The Plusvital Flat Race brought proceedings to a close and Carrigmoornaspruce (10-1) came from last to first to run out an impressive winner under Declan Queally.
"She was unreal. It was kind of the same as Naas the last day," said the rider.
"We just said to the boys that we would let her gallop around at the back and come home as well as we can. The lads said there is no pressure, look after her and we're planning on coming here for the mares’ bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival.
"It worked out and she’s a very talented filly."
