Frost's Red Hot

Young jockey Bryony Frost has kicked off her career with a bang. She told Mike Drowne how it all began

- Mike Drowne

The year 2017 will be one Bryony Frost will never forget. The 22-yearold bagged her first Cheltenham Festival winner in March, turned conditional in July and last month landed the prestigious Badger Ales Trophy at Wincanton.

Heavy rain looked to have ruined Present Man’s chances but Frost gave the seven-year-old a fine ride from the front and drove her mount home strongly to win by a head, 21 years after her father Jimmy won the race aboard Coome Hill.

Reflecting on the success, Bryony said: “In our lifetime not many of those fairytale things happen to us but I was very fortunate that it did. To be going in the footsteps of dad and to be achieving some of the things that he achieved is really cool.

“Some of the kids don’t get to do that and I am, to be given the opportunity to do that by Paul and the team and to have a horse like that to sit on, people say it’s a dream come true but it is, it might sound a bit cheesy but that is the case.”

This may be Bryony’s first season as a professional but she proved that she’s as strong as any jockey when winning on Present Man, as she had to battle out the finish with Leighton Aspell, one of the most experienced jockeys in the weighing room.

Bryony admitted: “It was a bit nerveracking when he came upsides I have to say, I was thinking oh anyone but you, but dad has always taught me you can’t lose your cool, rhythm wins races. At the end of the day keep his rhythm, don’t panic, just keep doing what you know, keep driving away and if he is good enough he will stay there.”