Retired jockey Rachael Blackmore has said she is ‘feeling good’ ahead of the arrival of her first baby as she says it feels ‘different’ not to riding at the Punchestown Racing Festival.
The star retired from racing last May but made a return to the Kildare venue on Tuesday as a brand ambassador for FBD Hotels & Resorts, which includes the Killashee Hotel in Kildare.
Rachael is expecting her first child with her jockey husband Brian Hayes and the couple might not have to wait much longer to welcome their first born.
She told us: ‘It’s a fantastic day, the weather is out. It’s great to be here.
‘I’m feeling good, it different. It’s nice to here with Killashee.’
Rachael and Brian quietly married each other on January 5 in Cork and announced her pregnancy shortly after their nuptials.
It is believed Rachael is on the countdown, with the star said to be around eight months pregnant.
Asked if her jockey husband Brian Hayes plans to take a short break from horse racing when their baby arrives, she remained coy about his future plans.
‘Yeah, I’m not sure. Not sure. We’ll work it all out.’
Rachael previously told HELLO! Magazine about her wedding day, calling it just ‘a party with family and friends’.
She added: ‘Someone asked me, was I nervous? And I was like, no, I rode Honeysuckle in the Champion Hurdle. This is not nervous!’
It comes as Brian recently spoke about their big day.
He told RacingTV: ‘I got married ten days now I suppose.
‘Myself and Rachael got married so off the market. It was a lovely day. We got married on the Friday down at home in Rosscarbery, in my home place.
‘We went up to Cavan then on the Monday and had a big party with all our friends and family. It was nice… it was nice just to get married finally.’
It comes just weeks after Rachael was inducted in the Grand National Legend.
The sportswoman who was the first woman to win the Grand National in 2021 has been awarded the title of Grand National Legend at Aintree.
She was also the first woman to be the leading jockey at Cheltenham, and has won an impressive total of 575 races as a professional jockey.
This accolade has been awarded to sporting legends such as JP McManus, Jenny Pitman and Red Rum.
Rachael Blackmore glows in classy butter yellow look in new role at Aintree
