COOL FROST IS TOO HOT TO HANDLE
RACING
BRYONY FROST was the headline act in the saddle with an all-the-way powerplay aboard Frodon in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal.
Frost’s name has hardly been out of the papers in recent weeks, thanks to a bullying case against fellow jockey Robbie Dunne.
Seeking to fill column inches for her exploits on the track, the 26-year-old turned to old ally Frodon in a Grade 1 test, in which each of the five runners was a Cheltenham Festival hero — and with devastating results.
Making every yard of the running the Paul Nicholls-trained nineyear-old fought off the challenge of last season’s National Hunt Chase victor Galvin by three-quarters of a length, with returning Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Minella Indo fading into third place.
“The way that they came to him two out was a moment that I thought we were about to be swallowed,” admitted Frost, successful aboard the gallant Frodon in Cheltenham’s Ryanair Chase in 2019 and the King
George VI Chase at Kempton Christmas.
“But he’s the epitome of determination — you will never, never chink his armour.
“He is an elite athlete, I am privileged to be with him and I can’t put into words how much this really means today,” added the jockey, whose mount was cut to 6-1 (from 10-1) with Ladbrokes to defend his King George title on Boxing Day.
“He doesn’t just make your career. He makes who you are.”
Envoi Allen, an early faller at Cheltenham last March before pulling up at the Punchestown Festival, got his career back on track with a 22-1 length supremacy in Down Royal’s Grade 2 Join Racing TV Chase and received quotes of 7-1 for the King George, 6-1 for the Ryanair Chase and 8-1 for the Cheltenham Gold
Cup.
Shan Blue had the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby in safekeeping when taking a heavy fall three fences from home, giftwrapping the Grade 2 prize — returning champion Cyrname pulled up — for Fusil Raffles.
“We got lucky today,” conceded Fusil Raffles’ rider Daryl Jacob.