SINCE this publication goes to print before Christmas, I always think it worth starting the review of the year with the festive action, and it is particularly apt that the success of Frodon under Bryony Frost in the King George should top the memories.

For many, Frost rode the race of the season as he she jumped off wide on the Nicholls third-string, easing across to the rail as she got to the first fence, while she then slowed the tempo down mid-race before quickening from the home turn, shutting the door on Gavin Sheehan as he took the inside line on Saint Calvados.

Those manoeuvres struck me as intelligent race riding, but they made the winning rider more allies among the television audience than in the weighing room, a fact which only became apparent in recent weeks.

The Christmas Hurdle also saw a surprise result, albeit without the rancour, when Silver Streak (Evan Williams) turned the 2019 result around by beating Champion Hurdler Epatante. Sadly he met with and accident two weeks ago and leaves us with that memory.

In a mixed week for Nicky Henderson, he saw Altior beaten in the Desert Orchid Chase by Dan Skelton’s Nube Negra, but Shishkin dazzled in winning the Wayward Lad in a faster time, looking all the world like a ready-made replacement.

The Welsh Grand National was another success for Williams, as Secret Reprieve defied a loose girth to justify favouritism in the three and a quarter mile marathon, although winning rider Adam Wedge’s post race claim that “it’s a man’s sport” led to much pearl-clutching and television apologies which may or may not have been needed.

“As good as Denman” Bravemansgame won the Challow Hurdle at Newbury for Paul Nicholls, and fuelled dreams of getting chinned by one of Noel Meade’s at Cheltenham in March, and so the curtain came down on 2020.

Then 2021 started inauspiciously for Cheltenham, with both January fixtures lost to the weather for the first time in many years, leaving little to cheer about in January.

January

First Flow (Kim Bailey/David Bass) sprung a surprise when beating Politologue in the Grade 1 Clarence House Chase at Ascot, and he’d be back a while later to take us unawares again.

Royal Pagaille threw his hat in the ring for the Gold Cup by defying top-weight in the Peter Marsh Chase at Haydock, but Buveur D’Air chances of retaining his Champion Hurdle crown took a knock when he was well-beaten on the same card.

Richard Johnson would retire at the end of the season, but he produced a ride to rank with his best when getting the awkward Sporting John home in the Scilly Isles Chase at Sandown in February, a victory which looked unlikely until late in the day.

Johnson made it a double when Native River won the rearranged Cotswold Chase, beating Bristol De Mai in a stirring contest

Jeremy Scott’s Dashel Drasher capped a remarkable season by winning the Grade 1 Ascot Chase from Master Tommytucker under Matt Griffiths.

The winning jockey was involved in a car crash in October which left him badly injured, and with an uncertain prognosis; he’s one of several injured jockeys to think about over the festive season.

Aintree

Paul Nicholls enjoyed a profitable start to Aintree’s Grand National Meeting, or to be accurate, Alex Ferguson did, as the first three winners at the meeting, Protektorat, Monmiral and Clan Des Obeaux, were all part-owned by the ex-Manchester United boss, who joked that he’d never had a better result on Merseyside.

The last-named was winning the feature race, the Betway Bowl, having swerved the Gold Cup. Champion Hurdle faller Abacadabras made amends by taking the Aintree Hurdle, which may have seen the final appearance of dual Champion Hurdler Buveur D’Air, who finished fourth.

Friday saw both Chantry House and Belfast Banter follow up Cheltenham wins in Grade 1 events, while the feature race of the day was the Melling Chase, in which Fakir D’Oudairies boosted Allaho’s Ryanair form by beating Nuts Well by 11 lengths.

The day ended with a shock, as 66/1 shot Ahoy Senor (Lucinda Russell) proved too strong for Bravemansgame in the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle. That result looked a little suspect at the time, but is proving red-hot form in hindsight.

My Drogo capped his novice campaign with victory in the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle for the Skeltons before Shishkin gained another Grade 1 success, although he was no more than workmanlike in justifying odds of 1/8.

Thyme Hill had to miss Cheltenham with a late setback, but the disappointment was forgotten when he beat Roksana in a battle for the Liverpool Stayers’ Hurdle, ridden by Tom O’Brien, after Richard Johnson had announced his retirement a week earlier.

Great story

The Grand National typically threw up a great story, but also a familiar result, with Henry de Bromhead again saddling the one-two in a big race, and this time Rachael Blackmore chose correctly as she guided Minella Times to an historic victory over stablemate Balko Des Flos.

It was a tremendous effort from jockey and trainer, and it might have been even better, as de Bromhead’s third runner, Chris’s Dream was splitting his stable companions when unseating at the fourth-last fence.

The season ended at Sandown at the end of April as has become the norm, and it wouldn’t be Sandown in April without a contentious disqualification in the Bet365 Gold Cup (do say Whitbread).

This time it was Enrilo who was thrown out for crossing Kitty’s Light on the run-in, leaving the clearly-third-best Potterman to apologetically receive the glory.

Altior bowed out in defeat when second to Greaneteen in the Celebration Chase, while dear old Frodon took the Oaksey Chase in typically gutsy fashion under a typically galvanizing ride from Bryony Frost.

Summer/autumn

Nothing happened in the summer, and very little in the autumn in truth, with quick ground on the gallops and the racecourses seeing a dearth of runners.

Midnight Shadow and West Cork won the big handicaps at what we can now call the Paddy Power Meeting (November, don’t say Open), and the first Grade 1 of the season saw de Bromhead and Blackmore announcing that they weren’t content with a season of domination, as A Plus Tard ran away with the Betfair Chase at Haydock.

Greaneteen didn’t get enough credit for his Celebration Chase defeat of Altior in April, but must be grudgingly accepted as a top-notcher after another Grade 1 win in the Tingle Creek, and Edwardstone raised Arkle hopes for Alan King when winning the Henry VIII for novices on the same card, and in a significantly quicker time.

First Flow bounced back to form to win the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon, while another stepping up in trip was Protektorat, who was one of few who coped with desperate conditions when winning the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree. The Gold Cup now looks a viable dream for John Hales’s horse.

Over hurdles, the Fighting Fifth threw up a dead-heat between Epatante and Not So Sleepy. Rumour has it that Honeysuckle didn’t lose any sleep over the result.