Rachael Blackmore: Historic Grand National triumph for modest trailblazer By Frank KeoghBBC Sport at Aintree Last updated on Blackmore was the first woman to be leading jockey at last month's Cheltenham Festival Like countless young pony riders, Rachael Blackmore watched the film National Velvet starring Elizabeth Taylor and dreamed of one day winning the Grand National. On 10 April 2021 she made fantasy a reality. The first female jockey to triumph in the world's most famous steeplechase, with a stirring victory on Minella Times. "National Velvet was definitely something that would have been on the television when we were growing up. I've got no punchy line to go with it," she told me.