Jockey Tom Bellamy has responded with humour after his mother made a public plea on live television to find him a girlfriend during the Cheltenham Festival. Bellamy, who rode 40/1 outsider White Noise to victory in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle, found himself the subject of a viral moment when his mother told ITV Racing: "A girlfriend! Anyone out there... he's a nice lad."
In a comical video aired on ITV ahead of the Gold Cup, Bellamy made his pitch to potential partners. "My name's Tom Bellamy. Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey. My hobbies involve riding horses... regularly. I play the odd game of golf. I enjoy watching sport, cricket mainly. I'm an all-round good guy. And in the words of my mother, a nice lad. Six foot. Thirty one. What a catch! What's not to like?"
ITV Racing later displayed a spoof Tinder profile featuring Bellamy atop his victorious horse, with the caption: "Cheltenham winner and nice lad - says mum." The win was Bellamy's first at the Cheltenham Festival, and he described it as a dream come true. "I've waited my whole life for this day," he said.
Bellamy's victory came less than a year after he suffered a serious injury in last year's Grand National, when his horse Broadway Boy fell at the 25th fence, leaving Bellamy with a broken wrist. He will not compete in the Gold Cup on Friday.
