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Rachel Blackmore was back in the winner’s enclosure for the first time since her return from injury aboard July Flower in the Grade 3 Irish EBF Mares Hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday.
Henry De Bromhead's five-year-old boasted some classy French form going into the race, placing third in the Grade 1 Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil on her last appearance. It was a first appearance for the mare under the care of De Bromhead since April 2023, having spent the interim period with trainer Mickael Seror in Compiegne.
July Flower stalked the leading pack under Blackmore, before demonstrating a sharp turn of foot to advance to the front of the field. With the obstacles omitted in the home straight due to low sun, the French import was all speed in the closing stages to leave her rivals four-lengths adrift. Gordon Elliott's Kala Conti and Jessica Harrington's Jetara finished second and third respectively.
A delighted Rachel Blackmore commented: "It's brilliant. Everybody in the weighing room wants to be riding winners especially at a festival like this, so it's great to get it done.
"I felt like I was off for a long time, well I was off for a long time!
"It's brilliant to get back doing what you want to be doing."
Speaking on her comeback from injury, she said, "It's been a bone in my neck. Ordinarily if you're feeling good, and can do certain movements, doctors are happy to go with you, but they were rightly being very cautious when it is your neck. I've been very lucky to have some fantastic consultants look after me really well.
"We're very lucky as jockeys to have so much good support and the Injured Jockeys Fund are brilliant to us.
"I stupidly kept setting myself an unachievable target over the three months [sidelined through injury] but you have to sit out your time. Being back for Christmas is important, so at least I got back for that."
In his own post-race comments, De Bromhead added, "She [July Flower] jumped great and Rachael was brilliant on her.
"I'm delighted for Duncan (Angove, owner) who was happy to buy her during the summer and obviously she's a valuable broodmare as well."
"We had her when she was a younger mare and we liked her then, so when she came back on the market we were delighted to get her.
"We bought her to win the Mares' Hurdle so the dream is alive and we'll probably head straight there now."
On the back of her victory, Paddy Power responded by shortening July Flower to 20/1 from 40/1 for the Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
