No turf in British racing – or perhaps the sport as a whole – delivers such reliable last-gasp drama as the uphill run from the final fence to the line at Cheltenham. The climax of the December Gold Cup on Saturday proved the point once again, as Fugitive fired no less than four clearances from the end and caught Il Ridoto in the shadow of the post.
But while the head-shaking finish in the final seconds of the race understandably grabbed the headlines, the previous 511 seconds were also a spectacle. Bryony Frost was the narrow loser of the day, but her performance at Il Ridoto was as good a defeat ride as you could wish for.
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Many observers, including this one, thought Frost was definitely going too fast for Il Ridoto. But this meant forgetting that few of his peers had the ability to seat a horse, jump off the lead with confidence, and then judge the correct tempo with uncanny precision.
Frost headlined one of the most memorable Cheltenham Festival afternoons in recent years, guiding the hugely popular Frodon to front-row success in the Grade One Ryanair Chase in March 2019 and has since become one of the most familiar names in the National Hunt. . The biggest wins on his record include the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day 2020, which is among the top six wins.
But it was just over two years ago when the British Horseracing Authority’s independent disciplinary panel ruled that Frost’s fellow rider Robbie Dunne had subjected him to a prolonged campaign of bullying and intimidation both on and off the track.
Dunne was initially banned from cycling for 18 months, which was reduced to 10 months on appeal. He returned to action with a win in October 2022 and the 2022-23 season has proven to be one of the best of his career, earning £221,000 in win and qualifying money from 207 races.
But Frost’s career over the past two years hasn’t exactly picked up where he left off. A serious back injury sustained in a fall in April 2022 kept him out for six months and although he rode Knappers Hill to victory in the Grade Two hurdles in April this year, he has not ridden a single ride in Graded racing since.
A layoff of a few months, regardless of the reason, can put the brakes on any driver’s career as the world of casual racing moves forward without them.
Frost’s back injury, for example, coincided with the emergence of talented young proviso Freddie Gingell, who received plenty of help from Paul Nicholls, Frost’s staunchest supporter throughout his career. Gingell is worth every bit of his 5lb claim, so it’s natural that the champion trainer will use him as much as possible while he can still take weight from senior riders.
Frost’s old ally Frodon is also in the twilight of his career. Frost was a 5lb claimer when he first rode Frodon in December 2017 and quickly made it his own when other trainers or owners might have taken stable No.1 instead. For any jockey with a big-money salary outside the minor elite, such a horse would be nearly impossible to replace.
But Frost’s memorable near-miss at Il Ridoto comes on the heels of the British Horseracing Authority admitting last week that more needs to be done to ensure racing is a safe and supportive environment for its workforce and female employees. especially workers.
Fakenham 12.10 Bennettsbridge 12.40 Beautiful By Her 1.10 Cream Fresh 1.40 Lord Sparky 2.10 Sergeant Wilson 2.40 Georges Aziz 3.10 little tantrum
Wincanton 12.20 Lindisfarne 12.50 Unceasingly 1.20 Lord of Thunder 1:50 Arclight 2.20 Little Tetley 2.50 Hall Lane 3.20 Javert Allen (nb) 3.50 Reflection of the Poet
Catterick Bridge 12.30 Dragonstone 1.00 Climate Precedent 1.30 Take Center Stage 2.00 Soldier of Destiny 2.30 Just Jess 3.00 ribeye 3.30 Strong Foundations
Wolverhampton 5.00 Alazvar 5.30 Dubai 6.00 Revolution 6.30 Higher Law 7.00 Not so bad 7.30 Eagle Day (candy) 8.00 Luna Dipinta 8.30 Navy blue
PhD researcher at Durham University, Dr. A survey of 140 women working in the industry by Eleanor Boden found that “sexual misconduct and gender stereotypes can go unchallenged or be accepted as ‘a joke'”, while “attitudes towards pregnancy and motherhood” can be considered a “joke”. She also stated that some young women “feel the need to leave the industry because they believe they do not belong or do not have the opportunity to reach their potential.”
The survey confirmed the need for urgent action, as well as the fact that the BHA has received and investigated 350 safeguarding concerns since 2018, “a large proportion of which relate to sexual misconduct, bullying and abusive behaviour”. Plans announced last week include improved training at all levels of the sport, better reporting mechanisms and an industry-wide awareness campaign.
BHA chairman Joe Saumarez Smith said: “On behalf of British racing, I offer an unreserved apology to anyone who has been subjected to unacceptable harm and behaviour.” “I also want to thank those who shared their stories and offered powerful personal testimonies. We are sorry and will work diligently to fix this.
“There is no place in British racing for sexual abuse, 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 luck, good or bad, as the National Hunt jockey. Therefore, there can be no assurance that Frost paid the price for the courage he showed in calling out a workplace bully.
But at the same time, his journey in Il Ridoto showed that his natural talent as a racing driver had not diminished. There are very few jump jockeys with a single First Grade win to their name, let alone half a dozen, so the longer Frost’s struggle to ride regularly in the better races goes on, the more outsider he is likely to look.