Recovering Rachael Blackmore hoping to return from injury before Christmas

Jockey Rachael Blackmore has not been riding since picking up a neck injury in the middle of September but her boyfriend and fellow jockey Brian Hayes gave an update on her progress on Tuesday.

Hayes was speaking after partnering the Willie Mullins-trained Mr Escobar to victory in the opening maiden hurdle at Sedgefield - a first winner at the Durham track for the champion Irish and British trainer.

The 35-year-old Tipperary woman suffered a neck injury when parting company with her mount Hand Over Fist, trained by Denis Howard, in a handicap chase at Downpatrick on September 20.

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The Grand National winning rider and groundbreaking jockey had been enjoying a very good start to the National Hunt season with 23 winners but has since missed a number of major successes for her retained role at Henry De Bromhead’s stable.

Hayes said at Sedgefield that Blackmore is now targeting a comeback for the busy Christmas period. "She's recovering well, I think she's aiming to be back the week before Christmas," he said.

In Blackmore’s absence, De Bromhead’s number two rider Darragh O’Keeffe has been enjoying a real purple patch that saw him win the Grade 1 Chase at Down Royal in November on Envoi Allen.

He’s ridden another 12 winners since then but Blackmore will be hoping now to be back for Christmas and the King George meeting at Kempton where Envoi Allen is next likely to run.

She has been largely lucky to escape serious injury in the past but did fracture her ankle in a fall at Killarney in 2021 and also fractured her wrist in a fall early in her career at Galway in 2016.

Hayes was speaking after Mullins won with his first ever runner at Sedgefield as Mr Escobar justified odds-on favouritism in the Vickers.Bet Proud To Support British Racing Novices' Hurdle.

The jockey had travelled over to the north-east of England to take the ride on the six-year-old, who had finished second on the Flat at Chester earlier this year.

On his last run over hurdles, he had been second at Listowel but this time was sent off a 1-3 favourite to beat 10 rivals.

Always handy under Hayes, from a long way out the race revolved around just the Irish raider and the Rebecca Menzies-trained Kingston Narcissus, who did his best to put it up to the market leader but there was four-and-a-quarter lengths between them at the finish.

"I don't think Willie has ever had a runner here and I don't think he would have been good enough to win a maiden hurdle in Ireland, so Patrick and Willie thought he might be as well to come here," Hayes told Sky Sports Racing.

"He's a bit quirky. There was one day at Killarney when he actually ran out at the first hurdle.

"It suited us today where the hurdles were and the best of the ground was on the wide outside - it didn't really matter as he'd have won anyway, but it's nice to get it done.

"I suppose the undulations here make it a bit like Tramore, except going the other way round, the way you are always turning. It suited him as it kept him interested and he jumped really well."

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