Blackmore sidelined with neck injury after fall

Pioneering jockey Rachael Blackmore faces a spell on the sidelines after injuring her neck in a fall.

Blackmore, the first female rider to win the Grand National, was injured at Downpatrick on Friday.

"Rachael Blackmore has sustained a neck injury and will not ride in the coming weeks, while she undergoes rehabilitation for her injury," said Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board spokesman Niall Cronin.

An exact diagnosis or timeframe for her return has not been given.

The 35-year-old was injured when parting company with her mount Hand Over Fist, trained by Denis Howard, in a handicap chase.

Blackmore was voted BBC Sports Personality's World Sport Star of the Year for 2021 after winning the National at Aintree on Minella Times.

She was also the first woman to be leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival, where she won the Gold Cup the following year on A Plus Tard.

Blackmore had been tied at the top of of the Irish jump jockeys' championship before her injury, with 23 winners alongside Keith Donoghue and Sam Ewing.