Grand National winning jockey Blackmore has surgery after fall

[July 17, 2021]  (Reuters) - Grand National-winning jockey Rachael Blackmore has had ankle surgery after falling off Merry Poppins at Killarney races, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) said on Saturday.

Jockey Rachael Blackmore is interviewed after winning the Grand National riding Minella Times Pool via REUTERS/Scott Heppell

Irishwoman Blackmore suffered injuries when favourite Merry Poppins fell in the 2m4f handicap hurdle on Friday evening, and was treated on the track before being taken to Tralee Hospital while fully conscious.

"Rachael Blackmore sustained a fractured ankle and hip injury following her fall in Killarney on Friday evening. She has had surgery overnight and is in good spirits this morning," IHRB senior medical officer Jennifer Pugh said in a tweet.

The 32-year-old Blackmore made Grand National history by becoming the first female jockey to win the race by steering Minella Times across the finishing line at Aintree in April.

(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

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