New venture for Bryony Frost as she heads to Navan on Saturday to ride Irish National winner Intense Raffles

Bryony Frost will ride in Ireland for the first time since the 2022 Dublin Racing Festival when she partners Intense Raffles at Navan on Saturday. 

Frost is retained by the Irish Grand National winner's owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede in France and makes the journey to ride Tom Gibney’s stable star in the Listed 3m1f handicap hurdle (1.42).

Daryl Jacob, who rode Intense Raffles to win two novice chases at Fairyhouse last season, has been sidelined since breaking his collarbone when schooling for Henry de Bromhead at the start of last month.

Jacob missed out on Intense Raffles’ Irish Grand National victory with the same injury, which he sustained in a fall at Newbury ten days before, meaning JJ Slevin did the honours in the €500,000 handicap at Fairyhouse.

Slevin is unavailable as he continues his recovery from a broken bone in his foot and that presents an opportunity for Frost to add to her sole success in Ireland, which came aboard Frodon in the 2021 Grade 1 Champion Chase at Down Royal.

Anthony Bromley, racing manager to Munir and Souede, said: “There’s no jump racing in France until Sunday for us and it fitted neatly that Bryony could go over, sit on the horse on Friday and ride him on Saturday. It’s obviously Daryl’s ride and he’ll be getting back on the horse in the new year."

Daryl Jacob (left) will renew his acquaintance with Intense Raffles when he returns from injuryCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Gibney has plotted a hurdles route with Intense Raffles, whose long-term target is the Grand National, and the grey will have to concede upwards of 5lb to his rivals. They include last year’s Pertemps Final winner Good Time Jonny and Minella Sixo, who has been beaten only by the highly regarded Potters Charm in his career so far.

“We’re looking forward to seeing him back out for his first run since the Irish National,” said Bromley. “I’m not sure if he’s really a hurdler, but we’ll find out. 

"He’s not been thrown in at the weights and his asset is his jumping of fences, so it’s probably going to be negated going over small hurdles, but it’s a valuable prize and a nice starting point.”

Champion Bumper winner Jasmin De Vaux also makes his hurdles debut (12.32) at Navan for the double green of Munir and Souede.

“He was a winning point-to-pointer as a four-year-old so I’m not particularly worried about his jumping,” said Bromley. “He has to put behind him a slightly flat run at the Punchestown festival, but he’s one of our exciting novices.”

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