Tag Archive for: Betfair

Rachael Blackmore Serial Winners Fund hits £250,000

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Betfair’s ‘Rachael Blackmore Serial Winners Fund’ wrapped up having raised £250,000 for the Injured Jockeys Fund and the Irish Injured Jockeys.

The initiative began on Betfair Chase day at Haydock last November, when the bookmaker pledged to add £5,000 to the pot every time Blackmore rode a winner between that meeting and the Grand National fixture.

Betfair kicked off the fund with a £100,000 donation and Blackmore duly provided the winners, including two Cheltenham Festival victories worth a boosted £10,000 each.

She then came incredibly close aboard Bob Olinger in the Aintree Hurdle on Thursday, missing out by a nose after suffering interference and failing to persuade the stewards that the placings ought to be reversed.

Betfair added to the fund nevertheless, providing a ‘justice payout’ to hit the £250,000 mark as the fundraising window drew to a close following Blackmore’s third-placed run aboard Minella Indo in the Grand National.

Jockey Rachael Blackmore with Minella Indo ahead of day three of the 2024 Randox Grand National
Jockey Rachael Blackmore with Minella Indo ahead of the 2024 Randox Grand National (David Davies/PA)

Blackmore said: “The Serial Winners Fund was an incredible initiative run by Betfair throughout the season in support of the Injured Jockeys Fund in Ireland and UK, it’s one that I am very proud to have been a part of.

“This really is a substantial donation, generously topped up by Betfair, and will support the vital work they carry out helping jockeys in all areas of their lives.”

Lisa Hancock, CEO of the Injured Jockeys Fund, added: “Coming to the Canal Turn, we thought that Rachel and Minella Indo were going to finish the initiative in the most spectacular way, but I Am Maximus had other ideas.

“It’s been a wonderful campaign for us and we are so grateful to the Betfair team for supporting us so very generously.”

Michael Higgins, general manager of the Irish Injured Jockeys, commented: “We’re delighted to be part of the Betfair Serial Winners Fund with our UK colleagues the IJF. Thanks to Betfair for their generosity and Rachael for her winners.”

Betfair’s Charlotte Booth said: “Our team visited both Oaksey House in Lambourn and the RACE facility in Ireland and witnessed firsthand the work both charities do. It’s nothing short of amazing to see the services and support they provide to jockeys and the dedication of the teams.

“These are such important charities for the racing community, and I am sure this initiative has raised awareness of these great causes.”



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Blackmore ‘serial winners fund’ closing in on bumper total for charity

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Betfair’s ‘Rachael Blackmore Serial Winners Fund’ is closing in on its target as it aims to provide £250,000 for two worthy charities.

The initiative was kick-started by a £100,000 donation from Betfair, with £5,000 added for every Blackmore winner ridden between Betfair Chase Day in November last year and the Grand National at Aintree in April.

The target sum is £250,000 and with several weeks still to go there is already £155,000 in the pot before the upcoming festivals at Leopardstown, Cheltenham and Aintree.

The funds raised will benefit the Injured Jockeys Fund and the Irish Injured Jockeys, both charities that support current and former riders on either side of the Irish Sea.

Blackmore, an ambassador for Betfair, said: ‘It’s fantastic to see all the amazing work the Injured Jockeys Fund does to support jockeys at facilities like Oaksey House (in Lambourn).

“This is a very generous initiative from Betfair, one that will benefit the Irish Injured Jockeys too, and will go a long way to creating more support facilities, in both UK and Ireland.“

To illustrate the need for the backing of such valuable work, Betfair sent tipster Daryl Carter to Oaksey House in Lambourn for a special edition of their ‘Coaching Carter’ series, where he met the recipients of the charity’s ongoing support to the industry.

Among them was former jockey Wayne Burton, who suffered serious head and spinal injuries in 2008 and lives at Oaksey House after being left paralysed from the chest down.

Burton is training to complete the London Marathon in his wheelchair in April, and said of the role the IJF has played in his recovery: “I did lose my speech, my understanding of what things were and where I was – that was a really hard battle for me at the time.

“Without the IJF I wouldn’t be here today, this place was built a year after my accident so as soon as this was open I was one of the first jockeys to come here.”

Carter also spoke with George Baker, another former jockey who won the St Leger aboard Harbour Law in 2016 before suffering severe injuries in a fall on the ‘White Turf’ at St Moritz.

Baker had a bleed on the brain and spent a significant amount of time in hospital before being rehabilitated at Oaksey House, where he now works alongside being a trustee for the charity.

“I am a trustee for the Injured Jockeys Fund and I work here three or four days a week in my role as a jockey coach,” he said.

“The Injured Jockeys Fund were a massive help to me, I had a bad accident in 2017 in Switzerland, at St Moritz on the White Turf.

“I was hospital in London for three or four months, I think it was a harder journey for my family more than anything and the next phase of my rehab was coming here.

“They helped rebuild me, really. I had to learn to walk again. They were instrumental in getting me back to work, they asked me to be a trustee and I’m very, very happy to facilitate that because the Injured Jockeys Fund is so close to my heart.”



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Blackmore pleased to be part of Betfair charity initiative

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Betfair have launched a charity fund which will see them donate £5,000 for every winner Rachael Blackmore rides between Betfair Chase day and the Randox Grand National.

The bookmaker has initiated the launch of the ‘Rachael Blackmore’s Serial Winners Fund’ by donating £100,000, and it is estimated that around £250,000 will be raised for the Injured Jockeys Fund and the Irish Injured Jockeys.

Blackmore, a Grand National and Gold Cup-winning jockey, has averaged around 30 winners in the period between the Betfair Chase meeting at Haydock and the Grand National, which this year takes place on April 13.

Blackmore, a Betfair ambassador, said: “This is a very generous initiative from Betfair and one that I am excited to be a part of over the coming season.

“The work of IIJ and IJF is vital in providing support services for jockeys past and present. It’s great to have Betfair supporting not only me, but two organisations that are so important to us as jockeys.”

Lisa Hancock, CEO of the Injured Jockeys Fund, said: “We are very grateful to Betfair who have been great supporters of the Injured Jockeys Fund for many years. Rachael of course is an inspiration to all aspiring jockeys, and we will be hoping she kicks home plenty of winners over the coming months.”

Michael Higgins of the Irish Injured Jockeys said: “We are very grateful to Betfair for this generous initiative and are delighted to be joint beneficiaries with our friends in the IJF.

“Rachael is a committed supporter of IIJ and a fantastic role model for our sport and hope her current run of success continues. We have major plans in 2024 and a project which will involve significant investment on our part which will transform facilities and services available to our riders. This, along with our existing support programs, will benefit hugely from the fund.”



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