bryony and the welsh national.

​On Wednesday the Racing Post published a letter of mine where I suggested that in winning the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day, Bryony Frost achieved the most important victory for a female jockey in British racing history. As is the Post’s habit, what was published was not word-for-word the letter I sent in – they added, took away, censored my thinly veiled criticism of the paper and changed the emphasis but to all effect my point remained.
Though it would not be evident from what was published, I made the observation that in contrast to her victory in the Ryanair at the Cheltenham Festival when she returned a heroine of our time, with her photograph on the front page of the Times, on this occasion there was a mooted quality to the praise she received, even, I thought, from the Racing Post.
I added, and this point would be hard to find in what was published, that the mooted response was in fact perhaps an indication that female jockeys had now found parity with their male colleagues, with big races going the way of the fairer sex so normalised that it no longer warranted column after column of appraisal and analysis. I am sure this will sit well with Rachel, Bryony, Bridget, Holly, Hayley and co who are, I dare say, mightily tired of their gender being the main talking point in their success.
Frodon’s victory at Kempton was not just another victory for the female of the species, as A.P.McCoy’s win at Towcester when he became the winning-most jockey of all-time was not just another winner. If a list was compiled of the top ten victories for female jockeys in Britain and Ireland, it is my contention that Hayley Turner’s July Cup success would now only be placed second, with Bryony Frost’s King George top of the pile. I believe it was that aspect of the media coverage that was lacking. It was a milestone for the sport as much as it was a milestone for both the jockey and her female colleagues. The bar is raised once again; it will require a female jockey to win a Champion Hurdle, Cheltenham Gold Cup, Grand National, one of the five flat classics or perhaps an Ascot Gold Cup or Arc, to remove Bryony from her place at the top of the tree.
The other aspect of the fall-out from the King George was the rubbishing Frodon received from racing experts and social media commentators. Did no one recognise the ease of the victory? Bryony did not have to ride a finish to win the race and by all accounts Frodon was as fresh as a daisy the next day, suggesting it was hardly a taxing race for him.
The experts seem to think Bryony will not be allowed to ‘boss’ the race in the Gold Cup as she did at Kempton. Did no one notice Nico de Boinville trying to hassle Frodon only for Santini to fluff his lines several times. They are now talking of putting blinkers on him at Cheltenham, not a good sign for a championship race. 
Bryony ‘bossed’ the field in the Ryanair and practically all the races she has won on Frodon. It is easy for her to dictate the pace because there is no horse alive that can match Frodon in the jumping department. Remember, the legend that is John Francome considers Frodon the best jumper of a fence he has ever seen. And he is amenable; Frodon does not fight Bryony when she wants to slow the pace and he responds instantly when she wants to go faster. Watch the King George again; he gains a length at almost every fence; ground Bryony does not give back. The opposition have to quicken to stay in touch. And with horses behind making mistakes, it allows Frodon half-a-length here and half-a-length there more of an advantage.
I am constantly astonished by experts who think, for instance, that Santini is a better prospect for the Gold Cup as the course will suit him better than Kempton, when the form-book clearly illustrates that Frodon is a Cheltenham specialist. He has probably won more races at Cheltenham than all the other main Gold Cup contenders put together.
I was wrong Boxing Day as I was of the opinion that as a strong stayer, as I believe Frodon to be these days, Kempton would not suit his style of racing. I was delighted to be proved wrong and hope come the Gold Cup all you nay-sayers will be as delighted to be proved wrong when Bryony becomes the first female jockey to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

As I write I do not know the result of the inspection at Chepstow. As the crow flies, I live not far – there is a big stretch of water between North Devon and South Wales – from Chepstow and given the weather we have had to today and are forecast for tomorrow, I would give the meeting a fighting chance of surviving.
One point I would like to make is this: if they cannot race on Saturday, and given the rise in temperature for Sunday onwards, and that they cannot have spectators or catering, they could take the option of postponing the meeting till Sunday. I realise they will lose I.T.V. coverage and the revenue that goes with it but a better option I would suggest than having no Welsh National at all this season.