GRAND National-winning trainer Venetia Williams took time out on International Women’s Day on Tuesday (March 8) to tell Sky Sports racing that the current crop of women riders have earned their success.

Ahead of next week’s Cheltenham Festival, the Kings Caple trainer said 2021 National-winning jockey Rachael Blackmore and flat racing star Hollie Doyle are “streets ahead” of their female predecessors.

“They’ve earned it, they are so much better,” said Williams, who became the second woman trainer to enjoy National success in 2009, with 100-1 outsider Mon Mome.

“There are so many more aids now, including every race being recorded and the mechanical equicizer.

“The girls are doing fantastically well and are streets ahead of where we ever were.

“When we won the Grand National it was the most amazing day but the last thing on your mind is that you’ve emulated Jenny Pitman.

“Every jumps trainer I would imagine would have their eye on that race to win at some point in their career.

“As a trainer it’s not a physical thing, though, we’re not riding the horses, so the male-female thing is really not relevant.

“In the early days there was probably a novelty element of being a female and I’m sure I got more publicity, probably unwarranted, because I was female.”

In 2021, Blackmore made history as the first female to be crowned Leading Rider at the Cheltenham Festival, 34 years on from Gee Bradburne (nee Armytage) becoming the first professional female rider to win a race at the famous meeting.

Chair of Women In Racing Tallulah Lewis told Sky Racing: “I think we all needed it last year. I was hoarse yelling her [Blackmore] home!

“Also seeing what Hollie [Doyle] has been doing, having those women out there that we can just cheer on in their careers is fantastic.

“All of these women going out there doing these great things is only inspirational for everyone else wanting to achieve their goals…

“We have a really established mentoring programme, an established bursary scheme and we are only seeing more and more women across the sport being put into prominent positions across the sport so that’s really great.”

Venetia Williams’ 2022 festival hopes next week include L’Homme Presse in either the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase or the Turners Novices’ Chase, and Funambule Sivola in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Meanwhile, the yard enjoyed success at Newbury on Saturday as Fuji Flight landed the Jackie Upton Trophy, before Chambard won his third chase of the season season at Huntington.