"The pressure was on" when Jimmy Frost got the leg up on Morley Street, favourite for the Champion Hurdle in 1991.

Thankfully both horse and rider rose to the challenge to land the honours, yet three months earlier the horse's career could have taken off in a different direction.

The decision was made to send the Toby Balding-trained gelding novice chasing but after three runs, the last of which was when he was pulled up in the Feltham Chase at Kempton, he reverted to the smaller obstacles.

It paid off in the best possible way.

"He did win a small chase at Worcester but he was never a natural over a fence," said Frost.

"To be fair to him he took on Remittance Man, one of the best jumpers ever, at Ascot in his second run. I was struggling and we got a thrashing so we decided to give that a miss.

"We spent the rest of the winter building up to the Champion and, being favourite, the pressure was on.

"I probably took it up a little early, but I came off the top of the hill going really well. We were tracking Jinxy Jack, who could miss a bit, so I decided to get out of trouble and move up another notch in the race.

"In doing so I landed at the front at the second-last which was a always a bit tough with Morley, but we went for home and got lucky as we had enough of a gap and we hung on.

"He jumped the last really well and I took him across to the stand rail. He used to jump starting off from one side of the hurdle to the other so I thought if I could get him against the rail after the last it would help him.

"If he was ever stuck in the middle of the course I thought he would sink on me. I took him across and the rail took him home."

Frost won two other hurdle races at the Festival - Forest Sun (Supreme Novices') and Crystal Spirit (SunAlliance) but had little luck over fences.

"Topsham Bay and Kildimo were among my few rides in the Gold Cup but I could only manage fourth or fifth," Frost continued.

Frost, who gave up riding just before the 2002 Festival, now trains in Devon and believes Osana can capture this year's Champion Hurdle.

"The Irish have had a good run but I think David Pipe's horse Osana might be the one," said Frost.

"His was a pretty solid performance to win the Bula at Cheltenham. Sublimity and a few others have to find their form a bit."

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