Bryony Frost makes history with Frodon in Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham

Bryony Frost became the first female jockey to win a Grade One chase at the Cheltenham Festival as Frodon made all the running under a perfectly judged ride in the Ryanair Chase here on Thursday.

Frost had partnered Frodon in all four of his previous starts this season, winning three and finishing second in the other, and soon had the seven-year-old at the front of the field, measuring his fences well and giving his rivals little chance to make ground.

The chasing pack started to close going to the second-last and Aso, one of the outsiders in the field, briefly headed Frodon jumping the last but Frost had kept something in reserve for the run up the hill and there was a huge roar from the stands as the 9-2 chance started to fight back. Frodon soon had the measure of Aso and Frost’s mount was one-and-a-quarter lengths in front at the line.

“He’s got his day, he’s Pegasus,” Frost told ITV Racing shortly after the passing the post. “He is the most incredible battler. He travels, he jumps, and that minute where he got overtaken, most horses would quit but he grabbed me by the hands and said “don’t you dare give up, don’t you dare not send me into the last, now come on, where are you?”.

“I’ve got lots of best friends, I’m really lucky, but what he’s doing for me and the dream that he’s just made come true for me, it’s incredible, this is his day, unbelievable. He just made the dream come true, it’s just incredible. He will deserve every single high five, pat and carrot.”