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"I don't feel male or female right now. I don't even feel human."

Those were Rachael Blackmore's word while she was still onboard Minella Times.

She had just become the first female jockey to win the Grand National.

It followed Blackmore's red-hot run at Cheltenham during which she had guided six winners home.

Balko Des Flos was second ahead of Any Second Now and Burrows Saint.

There were no fans at the event, but still plenty of cheers for Blackmore when she reached the winners' enclosure.

You can read Frank Keogh's report from Aintree here.

John Hunt
BBC Radio 5 Live commentator

In the late 1970s and 1980 female riders in this race were a bit of a novelty and a lot of people were actively against female participation in this race.

Forty-four years is a long time but we can finally put that to bed. Rachael Blackmore is a flag-bearer for the sport and I'm absolutely delighted to be one of the few to have witnessed it this afternoon - a very special Grand National moment.

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Cloth Cap who went off as favourite at around 6-1 did not finish the race, falling over one of the race's thirty fences.

Check back on the BBC Sport website later to find out how your horse got on.

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The Grand National was being run for the 173rd time after being cancelled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. It was the first time that the race had not been held since the Second World War.

There were no crowd to see Blackmore's victory, however owners and trainers were present along with select members of the media.

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The Grand National always throws up astonishing stories. Before today, the best finish by a female jockey in the world's most famous jumps race was Katie Walsh's third on board by Seabass in 2012.

But Rachael Blackmore, fresh off a sensational Cheltenham hot streak, came home first on board Minella Times, trained by Henry de Bromhead.

De Bromhead also trained the second-placed Blako Des Flos.

Andrew Thornton
Former Gold Cup-winning jockey on BBC Radio 5 Live

I don't think it will sink in for Rachael for a while. She had an extraordinary Cheltenham and this win will take it beyond the racing pages to the wider world.

She is just a fantastic jockey in her own right. She is a female rider and crossed all the boundaries and had nothing given to her.

She has earned the job, she didn't just walk into it, and she has grasped the opportunity with both hands.

BBC Radio 5 Live

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Katie Walsh, who finished third on board Seabass in the Grand National in 2012, told BBC Radio 5 Live:

"It's absolutely brilliant. Rachael is a fascinating girl, she is remarkable and I'm absolutely over the moon for her.

"She works so hard and is an inspiration for women and for men - I'm her number one fan.

"She has taken some terrible falls and bounced back, she really is an animal. The mental strength she has is something to behold."

BBC Radio 5 Live

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Henry de Bromhead, trainer of Minella Times, told BBC Radio 5 Live:

"I'm delighted for everybody, it's great for Rachael, great for the McManuses, it's stuff you dream of and to win this race is just incredible.

"It's such a tough game and Rachael had to do it the hard way, like all jockeys.

"She just kept winning on our horses and our owners were keen to use her so she rode herself into the job."

BBC Radio 5 Live

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Grand National winner Rachael Blackmore tells BBC Radio 5 Live:

"It's unbelievable, it's just incredible. I just had such an unbelievable passage throughout the race - I couldn't believe it.

"He travelled and jumped everywhere, every time I wanted him to move forward he did and he jumped really well.

"With two to go, I was just trying to hold on to him and it's a long way home but he was just unbelievable. I'm so privileged to get on these horses and it's extremely special colours to have on.

"You need some luck to get around with no-one else interfering and you need so much to go right and things went right for me today. I just feel so incredibly lucky."

There are reports that The Long Mile, ridden by Luke Dempsey and trained by his father Philip, has been put to sleep after being injured in a fall on the course.

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Fellow jockey Hayley Turner pays tribute to Rachael Blackmore's landmark win.

Rachael Blackmore's win was the first by a female jockey in the Grand National.

"It's amazing - it's what you dream of," winning trainer Henry De Bromhead tells ITV Racing

"Rachael is brilliant. I am so lucky to have her. She's just brilliant."

Rachael Blackmore is the first female jockey to win the Grand National. The closest any woman had come previously was Katie Walsh's third-place finish on board Seabass in 2012.

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Trainer Henry de Bromhead also saddled second-placed Balko Des Flos, who came home under Aidan Coleman.

Rachael Blackmore pumps both fists into the air as she guides Minella Times into the winners' enclosure.

What an ovation she would be getting if 70,000 fans were around the circuit. As it is she makes do with a bear hug from trainer Henry De Bromhead.

The bookmakers will have taken a big dent today. After five straight favourites winning earlier in the day, Minella Times, who attracted plenty of backing off Rachael Blackmore's hot streak, triumphs in the big one.