Bryony Frost makes flying Ascot return but still thriving on French foray

A familiar face made a fleeting return to the weighing room to Ascot on Friday as the multiple Grade One-winning jockey Bryony Frost paid a flying visit from her new home in France, and while her French has not improved significantly after 18 months riding there, her way with words remains intact.

“I spoke no French when I arrived [in mid-2024],” Frost said before the first of her two rides, which finished third and eighth, “and I still don’t now, it’s not something that comes naturally to me. But luckily, the horses, they speak the language of feeling, so that’s good news for me.”

Frost moved to ride in France, where female riders receive a weight allowance from male jockeys in many races, in May 2024, a few months after a high-profile disciplinary case in which Robbie Dunne was found to have pursued a campaign of bullying and harassment against her.

As she approaches the end of her first full season there – it runs from January to December – Frost is the country’s leading female rider over jumps, and top-20 overall in terms of both winners (24 from 203 rides) and prize-money won, with just under €1m (£880,000).

Bryony Frost on board Inner Success at Ascot on Friday. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

It has been an eye-opening introduction to a different approach to racing. “The French system has it sewn up,” she says. “They do it perfectly. You race for three days and then you have two days off, so you can be more in the yard and more around your team and I think that’s just a massive benefit.

“And you can go everywhere by train, and the trains are amazing, which really saves money and also saves times. You can go to Strasbourg in two-and-a-half hours from Paris, which is crazy because to think about doing it in a car, you need a day and a night.

“You jump on with your bag, you have a bit of breakfast on the train and then off you get and it’s an Uber to the track, which are all within 10 minutes of the station. You bump into everybody [other jockeys] all the time, you can spot us from a mile away, going along like little turtles with our bags on our backs.”

Frost’s base, for the moment at least, is central Paris, which is a fresh experience too after growing up in rural Devon.

“I miss the people that are close to me and my family,” she says, “but when you spread your wings, you invite people in. And the Devon kid, I thought, you’re young so for one year at least, why not live in a capital city for once in your life? And if you’re going to do it anywhere, do it in Paris.

“It’s not stupid money but it is a little bit expensive, so I’m in the process of trying to buy a tiny little house somewhere in Chantilly and make a base.”

It took time, she says, to adapt to the French style of racing and fences.

“But anything new in life comes with challenges and differences, and it was exciting. There’s little things like turning up to racecourses that you don’t know, and you don’t know where the toilets are, tiny things that you don’t actually really think about because you’ve become so used to them in England. But then you get the understanding and confidence and it starts to feel a little bit more natural and the riding can come to the forefront.

“And it does challenge your riding, because you become so adapted to the hurdles and fences over here, but it’s all still feeling, you know? You’re still galloping, jumping, finding the rhythm.”

Grey Dawning can get better of Pagaille in rematch

Royal Pagaille and Grey Dawning, first and second in the Betfair Chase 12 months ago, renew their rivalry in the first Grade One of the British season at Haydock on Saturday, when better ground could see last year’s runner-up emerge in front this time around.

Grey Dawning looked to have taken the measure of Royale Pagaille in the 2024 renewal on the run to the final fence before a bad mistake handed allowed the course-specialist Royale Pagaille to regain the initiative and grind out a second successive win in the race on bottomless ground.

Venetia Williams’s gelding is now 11, however, and while his aptitude around Haydock remains a big plus, the forecast good-to-soft ground is less advantageous and he may struggle to contain the eight-year-old Grey Dawning (3.00).

Haydock 1.15: The lightly-raced Andashan will appreciate this slight step up in trip after a promising return to action at Newbury this month.

Ascot 1.30: A fascinating renewal of this Grade Two chase includes the mercurial Il Est Francais, a track specialist in Pic D’Orhy and last year’s Arkle Trophy winner, Jango Baie, and the claims of Harry Fry’s Gidleigh Park may have been slightly overlooked. A Grade Two winner over hurdles, he already looks better over fences after just three chase starts and a repeat of his Grade One form at Aintree in April would make him a major player.

Haydock 1.50: Iroko was winless last season but posted several classy performances including a fourth in the Grand National and could be a tough opponent for the returning The Jukebox Man.

Haydock 2.25: The market heralded Ma Shantou’s impressive success in a strong time at Cheltenham’s October meeting and he looks ready to follow up.

Ascot 2.40: The merit of Celtic Dino’s win in the Welsh Champion Hurdle in October was backed up both by the clock and the subsequent performances of the second, Alexei, and Sam Thomas’s gelding looks overpriced at around 6-1.

Ascot 3.15: Jpr One goes well on quicker ground and has a big chance if progressing from his recent return at Exeter.

Haydock 3.35: Thomas has few equals when it comes to getting a horse ready first time up and Shomen Uchi can build on his sole run – and win – over fences last term.