Jockey Brian Hayes has joked he is ‘off the market’ as he opened up on getting married to trailblazing former rider Rachael Blackmore. Hayes and Blackmore, who retired from the saddle last year, tied the knot in a private wedding ceremony in Cork on January 5.

Since then Hayes has ridden four winners, including a treble at Navan on Sunday in the midst of one of his most successful seasons in the saddle. Blackmore, 36, announced her retirement in May last year after an extraordinary career in which she became the first female to ride a Grand National winner, partnering Minella Times to victory at Aintree in 2021.

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Among other accolades she was leading rider at the Cheltenham Festival in 2021 and her total of 18 winners at the meeting included success in all five of the championship contests.

Honeysuckle memorably landed the Champion Hurdle in both 2021 and 2022, with A Plus Tard recording a historic Cheltenham Gold Cup success in 2022. There was also victory in the Ryanair Chase courtesy of Envoi Allen (2023), Queen Mother Champion Chase with Captain Guinness (2024) and Stayers’ Hurdle with Bob Olinger (2025).

Her exploits in 2021 saw her collect the World Sports Star at the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards.

Last year Rachael Blackmore was recognised as the greatest female jump jockey of all-time by Cheltenham racecourse when she was inducted into the track’s hall of fame.

Hayes, 34, who has ridden one Cheltenham Festival winner in a 17 year career, stopped to talk about his wedding to RacingTV on Sunday.

He said: “Oh, yeah, I got married last...ten days ago I suppose. Myself and Rachael and I got married, so yeah, off the market.

“It was a lovely day. Yeah, we got married on Friday at home in Rosscarbery in my home place. Went up to Cavan on a Monday, and a big party up there with all our friends and family. It was nice to get married finally.

He added: “We were racing two days later at Fairyhouse. But yeah, we might go somewhere in June there. We have a month off in June. So we might do something.”