‘She’s beautiful’ says rival jockey as racing’s next star mixes mascara with broken bones in quest for winners

SHE has been labelled ‘beautiful’, makes no bones about mixing make-up with broken bones and wants nothing more than a Cheltenham Festival winner.

Meet Aine O’Connor – who could just be Irish racing’s next superstar.

AlamyTwo black eyes and a busted nose – but still Aine O’Connor puts her mascara on to ride over the jumps[/caption]

The jockey, far right, counts trailblazing rider Rachael Blackmore, centre, among her friends

She sparked an almighty celebration at the Punchestown Festival last month when landing her biggest winner to date.

Aine was roared back into the winners’ enclosure after bagging her first Grade 3 victory with her beloved mare Familiar Dreams in a bumper at the Festival.

Sun Racing told you how cheers of ‘we’re not scared of Willie Mullins!’ echoed around the grounds after the pair saw off the Closutton trainer’s 15-8 favourite Aurora Vega.

And in a revealing interview with Mullins’ son Patrick, Aine revealed how that win has only sparked in her a desire for more and more silverware.

And she’ll do it her own way.

Look at most photos of jockeys who ride over jumps and you’ll see mud-splattered faces, black eyes and a few broken bones.

Aine has had her fair share of those actually.

One fall left her with ‘blood pumping’ out of her nose and a fractured eye socket.

She put ice packs on her eyes so they would go down enough for her to be able to see to ride the following day.

Describing how she looked with two shiners, Aine told the Racing Post: “When I see the photos now, I think, ‘Oh my God, you went out in public like that!’”

Maybe that has influenced her desire to always look her best on the racecourse – or as Patrick put it, appear ‘immaculately turned out’.

She explained: “I have always been the sporty girl but I’ve always worn my make-up going to school and I love to shop.

“I’ve always been that way since I was 13 or 14, and I just don’t think that a job should change your life or who you are.

“So, when I ride I still put on my mascara and I head off and my clothes are what I want to wear.

“I never dial myself down because I feel like I need to fit in somewhere.

“If I’m wearing an outfit that needs a set of heels, then I’ll wear heels. I’ve always been the same.”

It’s certainly working for her so far.

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