EVERY National Hunt jockey dreams of riding a Cheltenham Festival winner and earlier this month I was lucky enough to do just that. Champagne Classic’s win in the Conditional Jockeys Hurdle, was the undoubted highlight of my career to date. Now I am hoping that it will help open more doors and get my name out there, which in turn should lead to further opportunities.

Racing is in my blood and I grew up around horses. My father always had a few point-to-pointers and track horses at home, while my uncle Aidan [O’Brien] is one of the leading trainers in the world.