Rachael Blackmore takes Cheltenham Festival award as Gold Cup preparation steps up

Rachael Blackmore’s Gold Cup win aboard A Plus Tard in 2022 has been voted the most iconic in its 100-year history according to a recent poll.

The fan vote, conducted by Betfair, saw 1000 sports fans asked which victory in recent years stood out as the most impressive of all. Blackmore, beat the likes of Arkle, Desert Orchid, Kauto Star, Sizing John and Denman to claim the accolade.

The survey also found the Gold Cup is as popular as ever with nine in 10 sports fans set to tune in on Friday. Blackmore is surely set to challenge yet again for one of horse racing's biggest prizes, with it yet to be confirmed who she will ride in this year's showpiece event.

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Recently launched by Betfair, the survey ran alongside a short film called Icons of the Gold Cup, to promote Blackmore’s Serial Winners fund, a one-of-a-kind initiative that is raising money for the Injured Jockeys Fund and Irish Injured Jockeys.

Back in November, Betfair and Blackmore launched the fund at Haydock Park for the Betfair Chase with an initial £100,000 donation.

For this week’s Cheltenham Festival, Betfair have announced they will double the £5,000 donation to £10,000 any time Blackmore rides a winner, after Blackmore urged the bookies to do so on last week’s preview show.

Speaking ahead of one of the biggest and most prestigious events in horse racing, Blackmore said: “During the preview I called on Betfair to raise their game for Cheltenham and double the amount donated to the Serial Winner Fund if I’m lucky enough to get into the winner's enclosure.

“I may have caught them slightly off guard, but