The mother of a Cheltenham jockey made a light-hearted plea for someone to date her son, moments after he secured his maiden win at the festival on Thursday.
Tom Bellamy, 31, guided the 40-1 outsider White Noise to an unexpected victory in the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle, beating odds-on favourite Bambino Fever in the opening contest of day three at Prestbury Park.
Speaking trackside to ITV Racing’s Matt Chapman, Sue Bellamy expressed her delight before turning matchmaker.
She said: “It’s what dreams are made of. Big price, great for the yard, the lads, lasses, everybody. And for the mother who has to put up with him on the way home if it has gone badly.”
When Chapman referenced an earlier conversation about what the win might bring, she quipped: “A girlfriend, maybe? Anybody out there? He’s a nice lad.”
The jockey was visibly overwhelmed following his breakthrough success, struggling to contain his emotions in the post-race interview.
Bellamy told ITV Racing: “I’ve worked my whole life for this day. I’m genuinely speechless, I cannot believe it.”
He praised the filly’s performance and paid tribute to his support team, adding: “A great performance from a really likeable filly. I’m delighted for the team at home. This tops my whole career, not just this season.”
The mother of a Cheltenham jockey has made a light-hearted plea for someone to date her son
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ITV
The victory held particular significance for Bellamy, whose father, Robert, was also a jockey.
He said: “I’m nearly crying here. I bunked off school as a kid to come and watch the Cheltenham Festival and I can’t believe I’m walking around here after winning.”
His mother’s appeal for romance represents something of a departure for Bellamy, who has previously acknowledged a wilder past.
He told Sky Sports: “I’ll be honest, in my younger days I probably didn’t take it seriously enough. I was a bit of a party animal, a bit of a playboy, just young and immature.”
Tom Bellamy guided the 40-1 outsider White Noise to an unexpected victory in the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
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REUTERS
The jockey’s path to Thursday’s triumph has been far from straightforward.
In 2018, he was suspended from riding at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day after failing a breath test and was subsequently referred to the British Horseracing Authority.
More recently, Bellamy suffered a broken wrist after falling from Broadway Boy at last year’s Grand National. His mount required round-the-clock care following the incident and was reportedly unlikely to race again.
Thursday’s racing attracted a host of famous faces despite challenging weather conditions, with rain, grey skies and winds reaching 50mph failing to deter spectators.
The victory held particular significance for Bellamy, whose father, Robert, was also a jockey
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REUTERS
The Princess Royal attended alongside Zara and Mike Tindall, while actors Danny Dyer and James Nesbitt were also present, as was former footballer Peter Crouch.
Dyer appeared to have backed White Noise, celebrating enthusiastically at the result, while Nesbitt seemed less fortunate, reportedly making a rude gesture towards his fellow actor.
Festival organisers will be encouraged by attendance figures: 46,317 people turned out for Ladies Day on Wednesday, an increase of 4,500 from last year’s 41,941.
Overall numbers have been declining since the post-pandemic peak of 280,627 in 2022.
