Bryony Frost hails legend Ruby Walsh’s role in Frodon’s impressive victory

BRYONY FROST has revealed how jump racing legend Ruby Walsh played a crucial role in Frodon’s remarkable win against Ireland’s top steeplechasers at Down Royal.
Jockey Bryony Frost celebrates Frodon's landmark win in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal.Jockey Bryony Frost celebrates Frodon's landmark win in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal.
Jockey Bryony Frost celebrates Frodon's landmark win in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal.

BRYONY FROST has revealed how jump racing legend Ruby Walsh played a crucial role in Frodon’s remarkable win against Ireland’s top steeplechasers at Down Royal.

She said Walsh gave her some advice on how to ride the Northern Ireland track where Frodon saw off reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Minella Indo and the late charge of Galvin in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Frost and Frodon secured their 10th victory together, and third at the highest level, following victories in the 2019 Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham and last season’s King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day. The jockey, who remains at the centre of a high-profile harassment and misogyny case against her fellow jockey Robbie Dunne, is looking forward to Frodon’s King George defence when he will take on stablemate Clan Des Obeaux from the Paul Nicholls yard.

Jockey Bryony Frost celebrates Frodon's landmark win in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal.Jockey Bryony Frost celebrates Frodon's landmark win in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal.
Jockey Bryony Frost celebrates Frodon's landmark win in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal.

“We know how to ride Kempton and we know our sections and know every inch of it.

“I will just go out and ride him to the best of my ability and give him every chance to win his race,” she said.

“Regardless of the price, he and I are pretty blasé with all that sort of jazz.

“We just get out there and get kicking and do our best.”

Jockey Bryony Frost celebrates Frodon's landmark win in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal.Jockey Bryony Frost celebrates Frodon's landmark win in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal.
Jockey Bryony Frost celebrates Frodon's landmark win in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Although Frost achieved the victory she hoped for aboard Frodon, her confidence levels were given a boost in the lead up to the race following an away day in Lambourn and the race-day input of Walsh, the Cheltenham Festival’s most successful ever rider.

She said: “We did a piece of work in Lambourn to give him a day away. He is like a celebrity and people were asking is that Frodon, and he loves that.

“I did a piece of work with him and when I pulled up I got goose bumps. There are not many horses you are riding during your day-to-day routine that you do a piece of work on and pull up and go ‘wow’! I walked the track twice in the morning after giving him a leg stretch.

“I went round once and I thought I need to go around again to see it more.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I spoke to Ruby a couple of hours before and I was pleased to know what he was saying is what I was thinking about the track.

“We got in a little tight to a few but the ground was on the tackier side, so me asking for those concorde strides he can do was just him putting me back in my box.”

Frodon once again demonstrated the best of his battling abilities, but Frost admits it was far from plain sailing during the concluding stages.

She added: “You are looking at two out, it is slightly on the kink and you are trying not to let your inside go but he slightly shifts to the left then all of a sudden the inside horse disappears and your outside horse is your main danger.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Two out he met well and even though it went wrong at the last he lost no time at it, even though his knees were in the birch.

“He is unbelievable how he has got so much ability and that he is quick with his feet.

“All of a sudden you feel him digging deeper urging forward and the head beside you that was near enough in front of you was gone. You are then willing the line to come which felt years away not miles.

“That last 100 metres were so still. All I could hear was the roar and all that was there were the grass, his ears and the two posts and the roar of people getting you to that line.

“It really did give me goose bumps.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Kempton and Leopardstown are likely to come under the microscope as possible destinations for the next outing of Minella Indo according to his trainer Henry de Bromhead.

“Possibly the King George or the Savills Chase could be next, we’ll see. Probably neither are ideal, but he’s there and we want to run him.”

Today Frost partners the Nicholls-trained Greaneteen in the Haldon Gold Cup, Exeter’s big race of year, where the biggest threat could be stablemate Hitman.

It is 20 years since Best Mate won the contest en route to three Cheltenham Gold Cups for Henrietta Knight and the late Terry Biddlecombe.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Meanwhile, Nicholls says he wants to run the exciting Bravemansgame, co-owned by John Dance and Bryan Drew, in the John Romans Park Homes ‘Rising Stars’ Novices’ Chase at Wincanton on Saturday – but the prospect of quick ground worries him.

In other news, Kim Bailey has announced the retirement of 2020 Charlie Hall Chase runner-up Vinndication after the horse was pulled up by jockey David Bass at Ascot on Saturday.

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.