Bryony Frost’s King George victory the latest mark of her talents

At odds of 20/1 in the bet exchange, no one gave Frodon much of a chance going into the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day, but to discount the Paul Nicholls-trained horse completely was to do a disservice to the talents of jockey Bryony Frost, who gave another example of her supreme quality in the saddle to secure a memorable and historic victory.

The triumph ensured Frost became the first female jockey to win the King George in the race’s long, rich history, and it was a moment to savour for a rider who puts absolutely everything into her performances in the saddle. The almost symbiotic relationship between Frost and Frodon has been much talked about in recent times, and this was yet another example of horse and rider in complete harmonic understanding of one another.

After a slightly nervy start, Frodon began to find his pace, rushing through the middle of a talented field of competitors to set the pace. A healthy lead was soon established and, in the end, it was a dominant victory for the nine-year-old.

“He was getting bored and whipped around and I thought ‘oh no, here we go’,” Frost said. “But I got him back in and as soon as he crossed the sand and pricked his ears I knew his head was in the game and we found it quite easy to get to the front.”

While this wasn’t the first high-profile race that Frodon has won, having triumphed in the Ryanair Chase at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival, it’s without doubt the biggest moment of his career so far, and a similarly impressive achievement for Frost.

The significance for Frost is that the win made her the all-time leading National Hunt jockey, with 175 wins in total – a fine achievement for a rider who is only 25 years old. It’s a fine time for female jockeys in horse racing, and the likes of Frost, Rachael Blackmore and Hollie Doyle in flat racing are making waves in terms of making the sport more inclusive.

But you always get the feeling that personal accolades come a distant second in Frost’s list of priorities. She is a jockey who lives and breathes horse racing, and her passion for the sport is palpable in the way she describes her victories, and indeed her defeats. She was on a major high after sealing Frodon’s fine win in the King George.

“We’ve just won the King George! I have had the absolute best time going round there on him,” Frost said. “The dark days, the hard words you get thrown at you, to gallop round there with him … he has just smashed everybody’s expectations.

“He’s gone round a track that’s the wrong way for him, always giving away ground a little bit at his fences. I got some amazing jumps from him. He’s what you dream of as a little girl – absolutely epic.”

Of course, attention will now turn to the Cheltenham Festival, and expectations will be high for Frodon as the historic meeting approaches. He has proven his worth at Cheltenham before, but this dramatic victory in the King George was a major statement intent from horse, jockey and trainer alike.