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In November, Betfair launched its one-of-a-kind charity initiative, the ‘Rachael Blackmore - Serial Winners Fund’, to benefit both the Injured Jockeys Fund and Irish Injured Jockeys. The fund currently stands at £155,000 and is expected to reach £250,000 by Grand National Day, Saturday, April 13th, when the fund will draw to a close. This weekly column seeks to shed some light on how jockeys have, and will continue to benefit from, the work the IIJ and the IJF do, and some of the services this contribution will support.
Tell us about an experience where mental strength played a crucial role in overcoming a challenging situation in your career to date.
Personally, the day to day challenge of keeping my weight down is one of the greatest challenges I face. Trying to do light weights that are much lower than my natural weight means I am constantly in battle with the scales. It requires a serious amount of self discipline and some serious sacrifices in order to maintain a lower weight to perform at my best.
How do you maintain focus and stay resilient amid all the highs and lows?
I try to move on after every race has passed. It’s over and leave it there and then. I like to focus on the next task or the next day’s racing coming up. That goes for both the highs and lows, I reflect and analyse each race but my mind stays focused by thinking of the upcoming rides or festivals.
What techniques do you use to manage stress and pressure before and during a race?
During a race, I don’t ever suffer from stress. The minute I get legged up on a horse I forget about everything else and it’s just myself and the horse. I become completely obsessed with the job at hand.
Before a race I like to study the form and prepare my body in the best possible way. I personally believe that once my preparation is done there is no stress, failing to prepare leads to stress. Before a race you can envisage an infinite amount of possible outcomes, so I try not to overcomplicate things. In horse racing, you can’t keep a rigid plan as horses are animals too.
How has the ability to bounce back from disappointments contributed to your overall success as a jockey?
Riding as an amateur, I have had big days in my career - but in the grand scheme of things I am no champion jockey yet. In our game, the best people roughly have a strike rate of 25%, so you have to have the mindset to win every race but it’s impossible, it’s vital to be real and practical.
On the bad days surrounding yourself with good people is key, doubting and second guessing yourself on those long drives home is part of it but being able to pick up the phone and call good people is so important. For me that person would usually be my Dad. The best bit of advice I’ve gotten, with regards to handling disappointments, is “if you make a mistake, just don’t make it twice”. It helps me accept the mistake I’ve made but more importantly teaches me I have to work harder to prevent ever making it again.
Are there specific mental exercises or routines you practice to enhance your mental strength?
I like to maintain a balance in everything I do. Studying Law in UCD means I am constantly balancing college with racing and gives me a great routine that keeps me from dwelling on racing. When I am not racing I am locked into my college work but when I leave college I switch straight back into racing mode. I’d also say I go to the gym as much as I can. I find it helps me to keep my weight down, to keep myself fit and in the physical condition I can be in for racing.
Can you recall a race where maintaining a positive mindset was pivotal to winning?
Model Kingdom in the Grade 3 mares’ bumper at the Punchestown Festival. As a claiming amateur I had ridden the last two and Noel Meade chose me to ride her, even though he had plenty of opportunities to get more established names on board. The backing from Noel by giving me the opportunity to ride a fancied horse in the Punchestown Festival gave me absolute confidence in my ability.
During the race, we went very very steady and for half a furlong coming into the straight at Punchestown I was praying for a gap. Luckily, a gap came up on the rail and thankfully, I had the horse to get through the gap to get up and win by half a length.
How do you handle the weight of expectations, both from yourself and others?
The way I was brought up, was that if you don’t push yourself you will stay where you are and won’t improve. Because of this, I like to set high expectations of myself but I try my best to remain realistic. I am always trying to meet the standards expected of me and fulfill the instructions received from the owner and trainer. Apart from them, I tend to focus on myself and the horse.
Are you a naturally confident person or is that something you have to work hard at?
I would say that I am a naturally confident, outgoing guy. From an early age I was always going racing and meeting new people with Dad. Going to boarding school definitely helped, living with 100 lads in a dorm from age 12 has, without a doubt, had a strong, positive impact on my confidence and social skills.
What do you do to switch off?
I probably need to work on it, but the second I come off a horse I have to put my head down in the books to get good grades. I don’t have much spare time but when I do, I love watching a good sporting documentary, the NFL and F1. One sporting documentary that sticks out is the Lance Armstrong one. I was shocked by the lifestyle he had, how committed he was to winning and the sacrifice he was willing to make to win, even putting his own health and life on the line to win.
What message would you give to someone who is struggling to cope with pressure or disappointment in their professional life?
There will always be a tomorrow, stay focused on your goals and don’t let one bump in the road make you turn back. Nobody knows everything, plenty of people will doubt and criticize you, you just have to keep your goals visible and work hard to achieve them. I have always been a firm believer in the harder the work the luckier you get.
There will always be tough days but tough days teach you more about yourself than good ones and they help define a person for the good or the bad, how they define you is only up to yourself.
Have you ever availed of support from the Injured Jockeys Fund or Irish Injured Jockeys?
Touch wood, no. I haven’t been injured on the jockey scheme. However I have availed of medical support and help from Jennifer Pugh and all the doctors. They all stay consistent with their calls, they don’t just help you on the day but they are genuinely interested in helping you recover.
Gillian O’Loughlin - the dietician for jockeys - has always helped me to manage my weight. We wouldn’t be where we are without them, they are a phenomenal service to jockeys.
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