BRYONY Frost reckons Yala Enki is ‘ready to rock and roll’ as he bids to make it third time lucky in the Coral Welsh Grand National.
Top jock Frost, 25, will be bidding for more big-race glory in Saturday’s rearranged Chepstow marathon.
The 3m5f contest was postponed due to waterlogging on December 27 – the day after Frost made history on Frodon in the King George at Kempton Park.
After finishing third in the 2018 Welsh National when trained by Venetia Williams, Yala Enki, a 12-1 shot this year, filled the same spot under Frost 12 months ago on his second start for Paul Nicholls.
The horse was a gallant second at Cheltenham first time out but unseated Frost in last month’s Becher Chase at Aintree.
She said: “He has schooled since Aintree – and if anything he is schooling even better than before, so we will ignore the mishap at Aintree.
“The Cheltenham run off top-weight was a mega run for him – and I really do feel he is better this year, in his work at home and just the way that he is.
“His jumping has seriously sharpened up, and Paul and Clifford (Baker, head lad) have been given him lots of schooling sessions which do him the world of good.
“It would have been nice for it to have gone ahead when it was supposed to, but he hasn’t dulled down when he was ready to rock and roll.”
Testing ground conditions look guaranteed at Chepstow, which is firmly in Yala Enki’s favour.
She added: “The more testing it can become the better it is for him – so fingers are are firmly crossed that it will be on, come hail, rain, snow or whatever.
“If we get there and it’s raceable then I will be really looking forward to it, because he has stamina in abundance.
“It is a long way, but he is tough and he enjoys that sort of challenge.”
Victory aboard Yala Enki would complete a whirlwind few weeks for Frost, who is still receiving plaudits for her King George success.
She said: “The amount of love sent our way and for the team and Frodon has just been mad.
“I’m still talking about it and doing stories now. I think I’m blissfully ignorant to quite what we achieved that day.
“There are lots of little twists of fate that have come about. It is just so cool how something can come together in one big hit.”
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