Paul Nicholls has backed Bryony Frost’s plans to ride in France during the summer, while reaffirming there will always be opportunities for the 29-year-old at Ditcheat when she returns in the autumn.
Frost confirmed in March that she was looking into splitting her time between Britain and France and embarked on a fact-finding mission by riding out for both Louisa Carberry and the team of Noel George and Amanda Zetterholm – the training duo behind crack chaser Il Est Francais.
A runaway success aboard Nicholls’ Sans Bruit at Aintree’s Grand National meeting kick-started an end-of-season purple patch that saw Frost partner four winners in 11 rides and she was on the scoreboard for the 14-time champion trainer at Perth this week aboard Ioupy Collonges.
She has enjoyed many great days in the saddle for the Ditcheat handler, famously winning both the Ryanair Chase and King George aboard Frodon, and Nicholls feels Frost remains at the peak of her powers as he ponders the limited outside opportunities she has received this term.
“She’s riding well at the moment and I think the public like her more than some trainers do, because she doesn’t seem to get too many rides these days,” said Nicholls.
“But she’s still riding as well as ever and rode a nice winner up at Perth and a few last week – she’s going well and she takes the opportunities she’s given with both hands.
“It’s not for me to decide who rides other people’s horses, but it just strikes me she does ride well and she doesn’t get that many opportunities.”
With the French and English racing calendars running differently, it appears a prime opportunity for Frost to test the waters across the Channel, especially with female riders receiving a weight allowance when competing against their male counterparts.
And Nicholls has given his support to the venture, feeling it is a prime opening to garner further experience.
He added: “I think she’s off to France until October to try to get some experience and opportunities there and then she will come back and she will always slot in with us. She comes and rides out twice a week and there will always be opportunities for her.
“The girls get an allowance out there (in France) and it could be a good opportunity for her. We’re not going to be busy between May and October, so I said go and enjoy yourself. It will be interesting to see how she gets on.
“I would say she is going to get out there pretty quickly and give it a good go, because ultimately I’m not going to have many for her during the summer, as Harry will ride most of them.”
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