Pendleton in tears as ‘legend’ Pacha triumphs without her

Olympian overjoyed by win of last year’s mount Women riders enjoy most successful Festival

There was a fairy-tale sequel yesterday to the story of last year’s Cheltenham Festival after Pacha Du Polder stormed to victory in the Foxhunters’ Chase.

A year after Victoria Pendleton’s stunning fifth place on the horse barely a year after learning to ride, Britain’s former track cycling queen watched Bryony Frost, the daughter of 1989 Grand National winning jockey Jimmy Frost, steer him to a sensational success.

The victory prompted a tearful embrace between Frost and Pendleton in the winners’ enclosure, with the latter exclaiming: “You were amazing! You were really amazing there! Brilliant job!

“He’s such a legend. I went and patted him this morning and was like, ‘Go on. Have a good one. You can do it, Pacha’.”

Frost said: “It helps when you have a partner like that, eh?”

Revealing Pendleton had also wished her luck before the start, she added: “He’s an old friend to her. He took her on a road of experience and it’s nice to get him the win he deserves, Pacha.”

It was hard to know which of the women was more delighted by the result. An emotional Pendleton – here working for ITV – watched from the parade ring. She said: “It’s a great win. When you’ve worked with a horse, it’s hard not to feel a bit connected to them.

“When you watch the race, you really feel for them. It means a little bit more and you can’t help but get excited. I said in the press conference [last year], if he had a better rider, he would have won.”

Frost is in her first season riding for, and working as pupil assistant trainer to, the champion trainer Paul Nicholls. Comparing it to being a kid in a sweetshop, the 21-yearold said: “You keep watching everybody else getting sweets and then, finally, you get the whole packet.

“Here, the Festival, on the horse, and the colours, and for our team at home that we work for, I can’t ask for a better day.”

Revealing that, while she had not sought Pendleton’s advice, she had “analysed all her videos”, Frost said “He’s got the ability. It’s just whether you can get him on the right day. And, my God, we got him on the right day.”

Like Pendleton, Nicholls revealed he became convinced the 10-year-old gelding was winning material after her ride 12 months ago. “Last year was brilliant, but he probably could have won,” he said.

“Victoria, what she did last year was awesome. I believed he could win today on last year’s run, on that ground.”

Applauding Frost for a “a beautiful, beautiful ride”, he said: “It’s just nice to give them opportunities and she’ll never forget that. This girl’s a really, really good young jockey.”

Her win also made it a record number of victories for female riders at a single festival, following earlier triumphs for Lisa O’Neill and Gina Andrews.

Frost said: “The sport is hard, whether you’re a boy or girl. And a lot of girls say, “I want to ride like a boy’, or, ‘I need to look like a boy’.

“I think it’s all down to the way you ride, your style, and how you click with a horse.”