The first woman to register her name in the Grand National of Liverpool (England), contested last Saturday, Rachael Blackmore will be present at Auteuil on May 23 for the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (Group I).
The 31-year-old
Irishwoman
will be in the saddle on
Ajas
, a 7-year-old gelding trained by David Cottin, who had the chance to work with her at Guillaume Macaire when she was interning with this professional from Royan.
"A great challenge"
David Cottin is delighted with this unprecedented combination: “Rachael is very talented, knows how to handle pressure and has repeatedly proven her talent in Liverpool during the meeting in Cheltenham (England) by winning several prestigious events. Together with the owner, Ulf Sjöberg, we think this is a great challenge. »And to add:«
Ajas
is an easy horse which jumps perfectly. They should get along well. His victorious outing last Saturday in the Prix Murat (Group II) was his last race before D-Day. I don't yet know if Rachael will have the opportunity to find out in the morning in training because, with the restrictions linked to the Covid-19, it is not easy to organize. "