'How can you not look forward to Frodon?' - Bryony Frost warms up with another winner

Bryony Frost is in good form ahead of her reunion with old friend Frodon and made it four wins from her last three days riding when landing the novice hurdle on Hurricane Bay.

It was the second course victory for Frost and Hurricane Bay, who was left clear when his market rival Imperial Merlin fell at the last, and the jockey has now won 30 races and earned nearly £290,000 in prize-money for the 4-9 favourite's trainer Lucy Wadham.

She said: "We make a good team. She's got some lovely horses, she does very well by them and the team work very hard."

Frost said the three-time Grade 1 winner Frodon will return to the scene of his 2020 King George VI Chase triumph to tackle the Coral Trophy Handicap Chase at Kempton this Saturday.

"I'm looking forward to riding him, how can you not be?" said Frost who has won 11 races on the 11-year-old. "Whenever you see him entered, you get excited.

"He loves Kempton and if the rain stays away and the ground is good that will suit. He's back in handicap company and he's got top weight but he's had top weight plenty of times before and he's definitely a horse who can carry it."

Midnight delight

No wonder Ben Case was delighted. Perseverance finally paid off with Midnightreflection, who had been through an awful lot since her last win almost exactly two years ago.

After the mare battled to victory under Harry Bannister in the 3m hurdle, her trainer explained: "She had a little hairline fracture in her back pastern and she's got three screws in a back leg. That took a little while to get over.

"We brought her back and she finished third in a Listed race at Kempton then we took her to Cheltenham and she had quite a heavy fall and jarred herself up. She needed her first run back but she was back to herself on her last two runs and she's a hardy little mare. We said if she wasn't going to come back to herself we'd retire her but she's always shown a zest for it so we've kept going."

Fortune favours the Bold 

Owner John Odell's patience was also rewarded when his Boldmere won the veterans' chase on his second run back after more than 600 days on the sidelines.

"I'm very thankful to Caroline and Gerald Bailey for asking Mr Odell to send the horse to us," trainer Alex Hales, after sending out his first winner of 2023. "He had a leg and he was given all the time off he needed, the owners were very patient.

He had a really good prep run a couple of months back and he likes it round here so it was obvious to come back to this. He was a very good horse for Caroline, he would have won the Towton easily but he tipped up at the last, and he was rated 140-plus. We've been quiet and we needed that."

Burrow disappointment

Rob Burrow with friends and family at DoncasterCredit: David Carr

Three different TV camera crews were on course to film fund-raising horse Beep Beep Burrow, who lost his action and was pulled up in the bumper won by Inoui Machin.

But earlier a cheque for £77,777 was presented to Rob Burrow, representing the money raised in club memberships and support since October.

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