Cheltenham Racecourse is encouraging women to come racing by appointing history-making female jockey, Rachael Blackmore, its new 'head of Ladies Day'.
Rachael famously won the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2022 with her horse A Plus Tard and has many more racing accolades under her belt, including a Grand National win, making her one UK sport's most prominent women.
According to data collected by The Jockey Club, on average only a quarter of Cheltenham Racecourse's visitors are women, with many saying they feel the sport is targeted towards men and is 'not for them'.
So to coincide with the reintroduction of Ladies Day at the Cheltenham Festival for the first time since 2019, the new ambassadorial role will see Rachael, who retired from race riding in May 2025, working with the racecourse to identify and bring down barriers to women enjoying racing, engaging new female audiences who have never attended before and lapsed customers who haven't attended for some time.
As well as playing a big part in Ladies Day itself, which will include the reintroduction of the Style Awards with more than £10,000 worth of prizes up for grabs, Rachael will also front a series of pop-ups in major cities like Birmingham, Oxford and Cardiff, to bring the excitement of the festival to the public with a taste of its outstanding hospitality and entertainment.
Rachael said: 'It is going to be a very different experience going racing and not heading for the weighing room but I’m looking forward to seeing what racedays are like from the other side of the rails and working with the team at Cheltenham.
'I’m interested in meeting racegoers to get a proper understanding of why they attend but also what some of the blockers and barriers might be that are stopping their friends and peers from coming.
'Horseracing is an amazing sport and a day at the races provides so much opportunity for people to socialise with friends and meet new people.
'I’m excited to get involved and see what can be done to engage more women and show them what makes a day at the races such a special and unforgettable experience.'
She joins the Cheltenham Festival team this week, ready for The November Meeting on Friday 14 November 2025.
Cheltenham Racecourse's chief executive, Guy Lavender, added: 'Rachael is a household name whose success and passion for horseracing resonates not only with racing fans and aficionados but general sports fans and even wider audiences.
'We’ve been evaluating customer data and feedback and what really stood out was the opportunity to grow our female fanbase. From there we’ve been developing a campaign aimed at encouraging more women to attend racedays and Rachael is exactly the kind of aspirational figure we hope will attract a new fan base to the sport.
'Rachael’s groundbreaking success on the track, combined with her growing status as a role model beyond the sport and popularity with people of all ages, make her the ideal ambassador to connect the Cheltenham Festival with a new, female-focused audience.
'Her achievements transcended racing and resulted in headlines around the world and awards like the BBC World Sports Star at the prestigious Sports Personality of the Year Awards in 2021.
'We’re excited to be working with her to identify what initiatives and incentives would encourage more women to come racing and to promote the sport, Cheltenham Racecourse and The Festival specifically, as being for everyone.'
Ladies Day at Cheltenham Festival takes place on Wednesday 11 March 2026 and tickets are on sale now.
