Devon’s Own Bryony Frost at Cheltenham Festival
This week, the 2023 Cheltenham Festival will begin. It will see the best jockeys, horses and trainers in the UK compete in some of the most contested races on the planet. With talk and betting turning to Paul Townend, Racheal Blackmore and others, the talk of Devon’s own Bryony Frost has died down somewhat. So is Bryony Frost racing at Cheltenham? And where has this promising star been?
Cheltenham 2023
Despite taking a back seat as of late, Bryony Frost will be racing at this year's Cheltenham festival. Working for Paul Nicholl’s team, she is probably going to be getting the pick of the best rides after in-favour jockey Harry Cobden. However, this does not mean she won't be on top-class horses. Nicholl’s stable is filled to the brim. Not only is there a multitude of races, but the Cheltenham 2023 bets also have his only entry into the gold cup, Bravemansgame at 6/1. You could only assume Frost would be the first choice if Cobden were not in contention.
Frost is also a more than capable jockey, equally as skillful as top riders like Townend and Blackmore. She returned after a partial hiatus in the New Year and won at Fakenham on New Year's Day for Nicholl’s. There is also a distinct possibility she may end up riding other top-class horses for different trainers during the festival.
A Hiatus
Frost is an exceptional one to watch in the betting. The reason for this is that she is a skillful jockey, but a long hiatus has taken the spotlight off her somewhat. In November, she had a nasty fall in Bangor and was rushed to the hospital with a suspected broken collarbone. All of this came off the back of a tumultuous year in which she was dealing with a complaint lodged regarding a bullying incident. All of this must have taken a physical and mental toll which she can now put behind her.
Ready to race, she has the credentials to prove she is a winner. Her achievements, particularly at Cheltenham, should not be overlooked. She was the first female to win a grade one race at the festival on Frodon, running in the 2019 Ryanair Chase. Frost was also the first female jockey to win the King George VI Chase on the same horse. At Cheltenham, she also managed to win the Foxhunter Chase on Pacha Du Polder in 2017.
A History of Racing
Frost also has racing in her genes. As the daughter of Jimmy Frost, a Grand National winner, her whole life has been dedicated to racing. Growing up in Buckfastleigh, Devon, she had her first amateur race in 2013. She began to ride for Paul Nicholls in 2016, winning the Foxhunter as an amateur jockey. That led to her changing to a professional career and her first grade one race win soon followed. It was with the horse Frodon she bonded the most. They first rode together in 2017, coming second at the Ascot Silver Cup.
With eyes firmly on female jockeys after Rachel Blackmore's sensational Gold Cup win last year, 2023 could be the year Bryony Frost wipes up at Cheltenham. She has the skill, the intelligence and, hopefully, the right rides for the job.
