Home Sports Rachael Blackmore provides the inside track on her five rides at Fairyhouse and Naas this weekend – including Champagne Mahler seeking to build on impressive win

Rachael Blackmore provides the inside track on her five rides at Fairyhouse and Naas this weekend – including Champagne Mahler seeking to build on impressive win

by Alexander
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Rachael Blackmore has two rides in Naas and three at Fairyhouse this weekend
  • Betfair has launched an initiative: the ‘Rachael Blackmore – Serial Winners Fund’
  • Rachael Blackmore has two rides in Naas and three at Fairyhouse this weekend
  • Champagne Mahler achieved an impressive victory last month

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avVery productive week for Rachael Blackmore and the ‘Serial Winners Fund’ with an extra £15,000 added to the pot courtesy of wins on Majestic Force, Senior Chief and Lantry Lady.

The fund currently stands at £175,000 and is comfortably heading towards the £250,000 mark.

Betfair launched her one-of-a-kind charity initiative, ‘Rachael Blackmore – Serial Winners Fund’, to benefit both the ‘Injured Jockey Fund’ and the ‘Irish Injured Jockeys’ at Betfair Chase Day last November.

They started the fund with an initial donation of £100,000 and added an additional £5,000 each time. Rachel Blackmore ride a winner.

The fund currently stands at £175,000 and is expected to reach £250,000 by Grand National Day, Saturday April 13, when the fund will come to an end.

Rachael Blackmore has two rides in Naas and three at Fairyhouse this weekend

Rachael Blackmore has two rides in Naas and three at Fairyhouse this weekend

Fairy House (Saturday)

1.30 – Native Theater

Theater Native was disappointing on his hurdles debut at Clonmel in November, but afterwards his blood was bad, it just wasn’t his race. She has had a good rest since then and is now in good shape at home.

It looked like he was going to win his point by point for Donnchadh Doyle, it was clear to him at the end when he fell. He’s a nice mare, he’s been working well and hopefully I can put his last race behind him.

4.25 – Bella from Brampton

Brampton Belle also hasn’t raced since November, but is also in good shape at home. She wears cheek pads for the first time here, and I think they will help her, might help her fine-tune her jumps.

She ran well at Galway on her season debut, holding on well to finish third in a two mile six and a half furlong handicap chase. She’s stepping up her journey here, but she’s holding up well and doing well on land, so I hope she does well.

Naas (Sunday)

2.25 – Shantreusse

Shantreusse ran well over a long run in the Thyestes Chase, but it looked like she might not have made it home at all. He’s on the road again here at two and a half miles.

He won a three-mile Grade 3 race on heavy ground as a novice hurdler, but ran well in this trip at Navan on his season debut, so I hope he can get back on track here.

3.25 – Mahler Champagne

Champagne Mahler won well at Gowran Park last time, and the race is already going well, with the runner-up winning last week at Clonmel by a mark of 2lb more. He seemed to love the terrain and the trip there, and here he is back on the same trip and similar terrain.

Champagne Mahler took an impressive win at Gowran Park last month

Champagne Mahler took an impressive win at Gowran Park last month

Champagne Mahler took an impressive win at Gowran Park last month

He now weighs 11 pounds more in handicap than he did then and has moved up a grade, but he is progressive and comes into the race in good shape.

3.55 – Ladybank

Ladybank is a nice mare. She was hot with Princess Zoe in a maiden hurdle race over two and a half miles at Punchestown last year, and took her chance in the Mares ‘Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.

She was badly beaten on her debut this season in October over two miles, and hasn’t raced since, but we hope there’s plenty more to come from her. She is running for the first time with a brace here, which should help, and the step up in travel should be appropriate. She has a good lightweight and hopefully she can have a good race.

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