Bryony Frost back from injury and reunited with her 'old friend' Black Corton

2.25 Sandownbet365 Oaksey Chase (for The Menorah Challenge Trophy) | 2m6½f | (5yo+) | ITV/RTV

Can Bryony bounce back with a win?

Jumping’s golden girl Bryony Frost makes her comeback aboard ‘old friend’ Black Corton following a spell on the sidelines with a broken collarbone.

Frost, who will collect the trophy for champion conditional before racing, was cleared to return to the saddle only on Friday, when she said: “I've been to Oaksey House this morning and they gave me the thumbs-up and told me I'm fit and well enough to get back.

Bryony Frost: delighted to be back at SandownCredit: Lee Mottershead

“I couldn't feel better in myself and can’t wait to be riding again after the enforced break. I've been twiddling my thumbs for the past four weeks or so and am raring to go, even though it's the last day of the season.

“It’s been frustrating to say the least, but you have to focus and make sure your body is responding to treatment. It’s no good coming back half-cocked.”

Black Corton is the first of two mounts for Frost, who also partners Present Man in the bet365 Gold Cup, and she said she was delighted to be reunited with two of her favourites.

She said: “It’s brilliant I'm back aboard two of my old friends in Black Corton and Present Man. I rode them out on Thursday and they were in top form. I'm really lucky to be associated with two fantastic horses.

“Everybody has to have a lot of luck in life and my job is to be efficient as possible in the saddle. It's very important the horses I'm riding believe in me as much I believe in them. I've been that way from the moment I started, and little has changed.”

Black Corton won the Grade 1 Kauto Star Novices' Chase under Frost in 2017 but the pair have finished runner-up the last four times Black Corton has completed.

Paul Nicholls, who also runs San Benedeto, said: "This is an ideal sort of race for Black Corton. We can argue he wants it a bit further, but he ran well over two and a half miles at Kempton. He's fresh and well again now and you can put a line through his last run.

"There are a lot of positives – the ground, going right-handed and the trip, so we're hoping for a good run.

"San Benedeto always runs well at Sandown and was second in the Celebration Chase. He's been running well this season, the race could suit him, and he likes the better ground. Hopefully they go there with tidy chances."

What they say

Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer of Go Conquer
It’s quite a tight little race and looks hard to win. He has some very good form this season but didn’t stay in the National so we decided to go back in trip. We hope Aintree hasn’t taken too much out of him.

Nicky Henderson, trainer of Gold Present and Josses Hill
Gold Present was running a great race at Ayr a couple of weeks ago but got in too close to the second-last and came down. He seems fine and the ground will suit. Josses Hill has to go right-handed so we're a bit limited with options.

Dan Skelton, trainer of Cobra De Mai
It’s a big step up but he deserves to take his chance after winning so well at Cheltenham. He's coming back in trip but seems versatile as far as distance is concerned.

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