No stretch of terrain in British racing – or perhaps the sport as a whole – delivers a last-gasp drama as reliably as the uphill run from the final gate to the line at Cheltenham. Saturday’s December Gold Cup climax proved the point again as Fugitif made at least four lengths from the last and caught Il Ridoto in the shadow of the post.
But while the dazzling finish in the final split second of the race understandably made headlines, the 511 seconds before it were also a spectacle. Bryony Frost finished, albeit narrowly, as loser of the day, but her performance at Il Ridoto was as good a ride in defeat as you would ever want to see.
Related: Fugitif fights his way home to make Hobson happy at Cheltenham
Many observers, including this one, felt that Frost had certainly left Il Ridoto too quickly. But that was forgetting that she has few peers when it comes to getting a horse into place and jumping to the front with confidence, and then judging the right pace with uncanny precision.
Frost played a leading role on one of the most memorable Cheltenham Festival afternoons in recent years, guiding the hugely popular Frodon to a breakthrough success in the Grade One Ryanair Chase in March 2019, and she has since become one of National’s best-known names Hunt. . Key wins on her record include the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day in 2020, one of six top-level victories in total.
However, it was just over two years ago that the British Horseracing Authority’s independent disciplinary panel decided that Frost’s fellow rider, Robbie Dunne, had subjected her to a sustained campaign of bullying and intimidation, both on and off the track.
Dunne was initially banned from driving for 18 months, which was reduced to 10 months on appeal. He returned to action in October 2022 – with a winner – and the 2022-2023 season proved to be one of the best of his career, with win and place prize money of £221,000 from 207 rides.
However, Frost’s career over the past two years didn’t exactly pick up where he left off. A serious back injury in a fall in April 2022 kept her out of action for six months, and although she steered Knappers Hill to victory in a grade two obstacle in April this year, she has not completed a single stage in a classification race since.
A layoff of several months, whatever the reason, can set back any rider’s career as the day-to-day racing world quickly moves on without them.
For example, Frost’s back injury coincided with the emergence of Freddie Gingell, a talented young conditional, who has been given plenty of rides by Paul Nicholls, Frost’s most loyal supporter throughout her career. Gingell is worth every ounce of his 5-pound claim, so it’s only natural that the champion trainer uses him as much as possible while he can still make senior weight.
Frost’s old ally Frodon is also in the twilight of his career. Frost herself was a 5lb claimer when she first started riding at Frodon in December 2017, and quickly made it her own when other trainers or owners might have replaced her at Stable No. 1. For any jockey out there For the small elite with a large amount of money, such a horse is virtually impossible to replace.
But Frost’s memorable near-miss at Il Ridoto also followed the British Horseracing Authority’s admission last week that much remains to be done to ensure racing is a safe and supportive environment for staff and female employees. employees in particular.
Fakenham 12.10 Bennetts Bridge 12.40 pm Nice by her 1.10 Cream fresh 1.40 Mr Sparky 2.10 Sergeant Wilson 2.40 Georges Sint 3.10 Little tantrum
Wincanton 12.20 Lindisfarne 12.50 pm Nonstop 1.20 Lord of Thunder 1.50 Arc light 2.20 Little Tetley 2.50 Hallelaan 3.20 Javert Allen (nb) 3.50 Reflection of the poet
Catterick Bridge 12.30pm Dragon Rock 1.00 Climate precedent 1.30 Take the center point 2.00 Soldier of fate 2.30 Just Jess 3:00 am Steak 3.30 Strong foundations
Wolverhampton 5am Alazwar 5:30 am Bur Dubai 6:00 am Revolution 6:30 am Higher law 7:00 am Not really bad 7:30 am Eagle Day (nap) 8:00 am Luna Dipinta 8:30 am Ultramarine
A survey of 140 women working in the sector by Dr. Eleanor Boden, a PhD candidate at the University of Durham, found that “sexual misconduct and gender stereotypes can go unchallenged or accepted as ‘banter’”, that “the attitudes towards pregnancy and motherhood can become an obstacle to career advancement”, and also that some young women “have felt the need to leave the industry because they do not believe they belong or will have the opportunity to reach their potential” .
The investigation, in addition to the fact that the BHA had received and investigated 350 safety concerns since 2018 – “many of which relate to sexual misconduct, bullying and abuse” – confirmed the need for urgent action. The plans announced last week include better education at every level of the sport, better reporting mechanisms and an industry-wide awareness campaign.
“On behalf of British racing, I offer my unreserved apologies to anyone who has experienced harm and behavior that is unacceptable,” said Joe Saumarez Smith, chairman of the BHA. “I would also like to thank those who shared their stories and gave powerful personal testimonies. We are sorry and will do our best to put this right.
“There is no place in British racing for sexual misconduct, bullying or any form of discrimination or behavior that makes people feel inferior, inadequate or excluded.”
Few careers are as vulnerable to the vagaries of chance, for good or ill, as that of a National Hunt jockey. As such, it cannot be said with any certainty that Frost pays a price for her bravery when she calls out a bully in her workplace.
But at the same time, her ride on Il Ridoto showed that her natural skills as a race rider are as great as ever. Few current jump jockeys have a single premier class win to their name, let alone half a dozen, so the longer Frost’s struggle to get regular rides in the better races continues, the stranger it is likely to seem.