Paul Nicholls says female jockey Bryony Frost has had to look for rides in France as 14-time champion trainer claims: ‘The public like her more than some trainers do’

Paul Nicholls is bemused by Bryony Frost’s lack of outside opportunities and questioned why she is more popular with British racegoers than trainers.

Frost has been an integral part of Nicholls’s all-conquering set up at Ditcheat and she became the first female jockey to win the King George VI Chase at Kempton when partnering Frodon to success on Boxing Day 2020. She also won on that gelding at the Cheltenham Festival.

But Frost has endured a challenging time in recent seasons, particularly after a high-profile disciplinary case in which it was deemed fellow jockey Robbie Dunne had bullied her over a prolonged period of time.

This season, Frost has let her riding do the talking and she has won on four of her last 11 rides – seven of which were provided by Nicholls, the other four came for another long-standing ally in Lucy Wadham.

The British jumps season ends at Sandown on Saturday and Frost will Flash Collognes for Nicholls in the feature race, the Bet365 Gold Cup. After that, Frost will go to France for five months in the hope of getting more experience. Nicholls hopes it will lead to doors opening when she returns.

Jockey Bryony Frost has won on four of her last 11 rides, with seven provided by Paul Nicholls

Frost has been an integral part of Nicholls’s all-conquering set up at Ditcheat

‘She has been riding really well,’ said Nicholls, who has a slim chance of becoming British Champion trainer once again. ‘The public like her more than some trainers do, it seems. I do not know why she does not get more outside rides than she does.

‘But she will always get plenty of opportunities here for us. Listen, it’s not for me to decide who rides other people’s horses. But she is going to go over to France for a few months to get some more experience. There will be some great opportunities out there for her.’

The rules in France allow female riders to have a five-pound weight allowance in all races and Frost spent a morning riding for Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm – the partnership who train Il Est France – in February. The challenge is something which excites her.

‘It could be great,’ Nicholls told Mail Sport during a media morning organised by Great British Racing. ‘I would expect she will come back here in October and it will be interesting to see how she does. I don’t know for sure when she will go.

‘There is a suggestion it will be straight after Sandown on Saturday and I’d imagine she’ll want to get on with things. She rides as well as Harry Cobden and others and there will be plenty of good horses for her to look forward to when she comes back her.’