Horse racing – Frost makes records with Grade One win at Cheltenham

(Reuters) – Bryony Frost shed tears of joy while becoming the primary girl to journey a top-stage Grade One Cheltenham Festival winner aboard Frodon within the Ryanair Chase on Thursday. Frost, 23, changed into cheered by a crowd of almost 70,000 after nine-2 shot Frodon’s front-strolling victory changed into secured with the aid of a period and 1 / 4 for 10-instances champion instructor Paul Nicholls. “He’s had his day. He’s Pegasus. He’s the maximum first-rate battler,” she stated of Frodon, a Cheltenham professional, who held off 33-1 outsider Asos and Road To Respect. “He traveled, my God he jumped, and the instant he got overtaken out, most horses might have ended. He grabbed me utilizing the hands and said, do not you dare surrender. He’s incredible!” Nicholls, who has trained outstanding horses along with Kauto Star and Denman, referred to as “one of the excellent days ever.” A beaming Frost, who had a fall closing 12 months which sidelined her for three months, punched the air after the maximum high-profile victory by using a female rider at the showpiece meeting. In an interview with Reuters this month, Frost said: “It’s The Festival and such a rare element to winning.

“If you have a look at the pinnacle of the mountain, it’s a long manner up; however, in case you take it to step by step, then you will preserve going up. “If you most effective make it half of way, nicely you’ve got nevertheless executed properly and in case you get to the top, handiest then you can take within the view.” Frost was a Festival-winning rider as an amateur inside the 2017 Foxhunter Chase on Nicholls-trained Pacha Du Polder. The Devon-born jockey had chalked up her first Grade One triumph inside the Kauto Star Novices’ Chase at Kempton in December with Black Corton. Lizzie Kelly has become the primary girl to trip a Grade One winner over fences on Tea For Two inside the same race in 2015. Kelly additionally loved achievement on Thursday by driving Siruh Du Lac to victory within the Grade Three handicap chase. Frost had ridden Frodon to 3 previous wins at Cheltenham on top of victory within the Old Roan Chase at Aintree this season.