Music legend Mick Foster pens song for 'history maker' Rachael Blackmore

The Ballad of Rachael Blackmore was released this week and sees Ireland's female jockey immortalised in song following her history-making Grand National victory.

"We want to blow the trumpet for Rachael and celebrate her success with Foster & Allen fans around the world," Mick Foster tells the Sunday World.

"Nina Carberry was there before, and Katie Walsh and they had great success, but Rachael took it to another level. They'll probably make a movie about her exploits because she's in the history books now."

Mick, who went on to achieve international success with Foster & Allen, grew up steeped in the tradition of horse racing.

"I was born on a stud farm in Ballymore Eustace, in Kildare, and I was going to races before I was going to school," he recalls. "My father was a horse box driver in his early days."

After hitting the big time, Foster and his partner, Tony Allen, bought their own racehorse, Nancy Myles, which notched up 19 wins under trainer Francis Flood, including one with legendary jockey Mick Kinnane.

"I'm a big fan of Rachael and I've followed her career in racing," Mick says. "The Grand National is going on for over 180 years and no woman had ever won it. If Rachael never rode another winner she'll still go down in history for that achievement.

"It's unbelievable; no matter how you look at it she's a woman in a man's world and she's fighting them on a level playing field.

Foster says that Blackmore's remarkable achievements on the racecourse also defeats the argument that women are not strong enough to compete with men on the turf.

"There are some who say that the women are great, but they haven't the strength of a man at the finish. She's after proving them totally wrong.

"It's true that you need fierce strength to finish a race. If you have a close finish and two equal horses, the strongest rider is going to get up there. You have to be as fit as ten fiddles. And Rachael has proved that she's as strong as any of the men."

The Ballad of Rachael Blackmore was co-written by Billy Morrissey and Mick's wife, Moyra Fraser. "What Rachael has done deserves to be recognised in all kinds of ways, not least in a song," Mick says.

"She's given us all a great lift at a time when we never needed it more because of all the lockdowns in this pandemic. I think it will be next January before Foster & Allen get back to doing live shows - and that will be a full two years off the road.

"I'm 73 and Tony is 69, so when you have those years on the clock every year counts. Touring has been our whole life - but the pandemic put a stop to that.

"But we'll be back - and we're looking forward to it."

THE BALLAD OF RACHAEL BLACKMORE

From the fields of Tipperary

And the hills of Killenaule

Came famous sporting heroes

Legends one and all.

A new name has been added

To the Jockeys Hall of Fame

The toast of Tipperary

Rachael Blackmore is her name.

Chorus

The Pride of Tipperary

The Rose of Slievenamon.

For national hunt racing

Rachael Blackmore's number one.

She made it all look easy

As she crossed that finish line,

Another win for Ireland

A legend in her time.

Ride on Rachael Blackmore

With honour and with pride

Our nation all stood cheering

As you made that famous ride.

With the mighty Honeysuckle

Our flag you did unfurl

When you rode that horse to victory

And won the Champion Hurdle.

Chorus

The pride of Tipperary....

Your deeds will be remembered

In historic Killenaule,

When on the Cotswolds racecourse

The world you did enthrall.

No crowd there to cheer you

But you didn't seem to mind,

Your star shone bright in Cheltenham

As you left the rest behind.

Chorus

The pride of Tipperary....

Then she came to Aintree

On that famous April day.

There she rode Minella Times

And blew the field away.

The first girl in its history

She never would give up

Now Aintree's Grand National

Has a new name on the Cup.

Chorus

The pride of all Tipperary

The Rose of Slievenamon,

For National Hunt Racing

Rachael Blackmore's number one.

She made it all look easy

As she crossed that finish line

Another win for Ireland

A legend in her time.