Just a week after announcing her retirement as a jockey, Rachael Blackmore says it wasn't part of a "massive plan" and that the timing just "felt right."
The Tipperary rider announced her retirement last week after a glittering 16-year career, in which she became the first female jockey to win the Aintree Grand National in 2021 and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2022 - won aboard Minella Times and A Plus Tard respectively.
Blackmore rode a total of 18 winners at Cheltenham over the course of her career and also became the first woman to be leading jockey at the festival in 2022.
Reflecting in the wake of her retirement and the tributes which followed, Blackmore spoke to Ruby Walsh and Damien O'Meara on RTÉ 2fm's Game On, admitting she was "blown away" by the response to the news.
"It wasn't a massive plan. I never knew how that day would come. But it did come," Blackmore said of her decision to retire.
"It just felt right in that moment. It felt like the right time.
"I'm so blown away by the response. Obviously, I knew it would be a news story in some shape. The amount of coverage in the newspapers. The amount of articles.
"The amount of people that have written to me and rang me and sent me messages. People that you might pass and you know them but you don't have their numbers. But they've gone out of their way to get my number and send me a message. I'm just so blown away by that."
Asked to cite her most memorable victory, Blackmore first plumped for her final win aboard Honeysuckle in the 2023 Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham, though acknowledged that few things in racing could top the joy of a Grand National victory.
"I think coming back into the winners' enclosure on Honeysuckle on her last race was a phenomenal feeling.
"Even visually, I hope I'll never forget what it looked like. It was just black with people. There was no space anywhere.
"It was different. It didn't feel like it was just about me riding a winner. It wasn't about that. It was about loads of other things. It was a very special moment.
"I don't know would I love to live it again because it was sad as well. But it was a standout moment.
"Obviously, winning the Grand National was just phenomenal. You just don't feel joy like that instantaneously when you cross the line. I've never felt such a kick of joy straight away.
"You ride winners in Cheltenham and you feel relief because there's pressure and so on. But the Grand National is just joy straight away.
"I was very lucky when I got linked up with Henry DeBromhead. He had a serious yard of horses.
"It just elevated my career to a whole new level. You need to get the bounce of the ball essentially and I feel like I got that.
"There's so many good riders in the weighing room and there's only a certain amount of races in a day. There can only be seven jockeys or whatever ride a winner in a day. You have to be getting on the right horses to achieve these things."
On her future plans, the 35-year old said she was taking her time before deciding what to pursue next but stressed that she felt lucky to be retiring on her own terms.
"I wish I knew. I never thought about what I'd do when I'd finish. Because I felt so lucky to be in the position I was. I just wanted to focus on what I was doing. I'm very lucky that I can take a few weeks and try and figure everything out.
"I'm so lucky I got to finish when I wanted to. Physically I'm fine. I could go out and ride in the morning if I wanted to. My body is good.
"I've had my injuries, I've had my breaks. But I had very good people looking after me. I'm well patched up now.
"I was very lucky throughout my career in that sense. I didn't come off too badly on the injury side of it. Every jockey has their falls and I got my share of them. But they could always have been a lot worse."
