An emotional Bryony Frost was left close to tears after riding Greaneteen to win the Grade One Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown on Saturday.
Frost gave testimony at a BHA hearing this week into seven individual charges brought against weighing room colleague Robbie Dunne for prejudicial conduct and violent and threatening behaviour. Dunne denies all charges of prejudicial conduct and two of the three of violent and threatening behaviour. The hearing recommences on December 7.
Britain's most successful female jockey settled the Paul Nicholls-trained Greaneteen just off the pace in the five-runner affair as Irish raider Chacun Pour Soi led the field.
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Willie Mullins' 8/13 favourite disappointed with his jumping and faded back into last quickly as Nicholls' other runner Hitman produced a challenge.
Having briefly looked the likely winner, Hitman was soon passed by his stablemate as Frost came down the outside to secure a 12th win in the race for the champion trainer, beating Hitman in second and Captain Guinness in third.
Frost, receiving warm applause and loud cheers from the Sandown crowd, said: "How privileged am I? Look at all of this. I can't speak.
"I got over the last, but it felt a very, very long way up the hill! We were riding for everything we were worth.
"I thought 'I'm going to get caught, somebody's going to come and get me. I can hear them, I can hear the crowd!'.
"We won the Tingle Creek. I absolutely can't believe it. I can't tell you what it (reception from the crowd) means, to feel the support of everyone here is huge.
"I ride horses and it's the best life. I can say I do that as a job. It's quite special and it's the best place to be when you are galloping out on track. That's the place you've got to take yourself, it's what I've done since I was little."
Nicholls - whose previous Tingle Creek heroes include Kauto Star and Master Minded - was quick to pay tribute to Frost.
He said: "It has been a difficult week for Bryony, of course it has, I don't think anyone would want to be in that position, but she has handled it well.
"To come back and ride a Grade One winner, that says everything about her and what a professional she is, so full marks to her.
"She has done nothing but improve and improve and while she has had a few little issues off the course and on the course, that will be put behind her soon. She will keep riding winners like this and it will soon be history. Top girl."