Every time I get hurt I come back hot – so beware Frodon in the King George

11 months ago 58

GIVING the same present every Christmas is rarely the best idea — but for Bryony Frost it would be a dream come true.

Three years ago Bryony had the Festive time of her life when Frodon, the apple of her eye, galloped the rest into submission to win Kempton’s King George VI Chase.

Aside from the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Grand National, it is the most prestigious race in the jumps calendar . . . and the dynamic duo led from start to finish.

On Boxing Day, the hugely popular old boy, now touching 12, is back at the scene of his finest hour, once more with Bryony in the saddle, chasing a repeat.

Despite being the outsider in a star-studded field, no-one has a better Kempton CV –— and ‘Frode’, as he is affectionately known by all in Paul Nicholls’ yard at Ditcheat, has never been in better shape.

So although a repeat of that 2020 triumph — he was fourth and third in the subsequent two runnings — would be a surprise, it wouldn’t be the greatest shock in the world.

Certainly not to Bryony, who insists that, while her old pal may be an equine pensioner, he is bouncing around Nicholls’ West Country base like a juvenile hurdler.

Frost grinned: “He’s definitely his old boisterous self. I schooled him the other day and everyone was saying ‘ah, Frodon’s back!’

“He’s muscled, tight, looks fantastic in his skin and up for everything — the same he’s been whenever he’s run the biggest races of his career.

“All the top athletes, whatever the sport, have to be slightly cocky . . . well Frodon certainly is at the moment.

“And, as a jockey, I’m going into it exactly the same as him.

“He doesn’t know what price he is and I don’t care . . . I couldn’t be happier with him.

“You never go into these races thinking you can’t win, and his form is there for everyone to see.

“The one thing with Frode is win, lose or draw, he never performs at anything but his best. He always gives it his all, everyone knows that. He is my king.”

Against such top quality opposition, including stablemate and last year’s winner Bravemansgame, he couldn’t afford not to.

It would be the sweetest of wins for Bryony, who has enjoyed countless days to remember on Frodon — not least Ryanair glory at the Cheltenham Festival a year before the King George — and also a momentous Grade 1 win in the Down Royal Champion Chase in Ireland in 2021.

Especially after starting the week being brought to earth quite literally and painfully, in a fall during a schooling session at Ditcheat.

She stood herself down for a couple of days — biting the bullet and missing a book of rides at Fakenham in doing so — to guarantee she would be at her peak for the big day.

Frost, who returned on Red Risk at Ascot on Saturday, said: “I want to operate at a high level and if you’re not 110 per cent, you can’t get the best result for the horse you’re partnering.

“I’ll never just canter one round, hand it back to connections and say ‘thanks very much.’ I’ve been well mentored by Paul — you either ride at your optimum or you don’t ride at all.

“Sometimes you need to take a step back to take a couple forwards, and that meant having a couple of quiet days to recharge the batteries.

“It wasn’t anything serious, just a heavy fall, but I was riding out again on Thursday and ready to rock and roll again.

“Pretty much every time I’ve been off I have come back and hit the ground running, feeling stronger than before. That’s the mentality and it’s served me well so far.

“I’ve watched all Frodon’s races in the run-up to this, finishing with the one when he was crowned King of Kempton. What a day that was for the team.

“Now I can’t wait to get on him again. Yes, we’ve got good horses around us, but we have had that our whole careers.

“There is no hiding place out there, but it’s always been that way . . . that’s why he ticks all the boxes. That’s why he is so special to so many people.”

This one, without doubt, would be the most special of all . . .