Tell us your first Cheltenham Festival memory?

I had a passing interest in Cheltenham when I was growing up due to my Dad being very interested in it. It was the 2015 Festival where I first ignited the flame for the great week of action. Douvan bounded clear in the Supreme, in fantastic fashion, and I was immediately hooked.

What was your best day’s racing or betting at the Festival?

Going through the turnstiles on Tuesday morning of the 2020 Festival was a feeling of anticipation and excitement I had not felt at any other sporting event - it was electric! In betting terms it definitely would have been last year’s festival on Thursday, where the combination between Mrs Milner, Allaho and The Shunter all winning proved very fruitful.

Any bad experiences you’d like to tell us about?

For me, the fall of Douvan at four out in the 2018 Champion Chase left me with a great feeling of injustice. Not only was he my favourite horse, but it denied us all the clash we wanted to see between him, Altior and Min. I still think that Douvan would have won if he had stood up, but that’s opening a completely different can of worms!

Is there any particular race at the meeting you’ve always been lucky in?

The Plate on Thursday has been a very fortuitous race for me. Ever since backing Empire Of Dirt to win the race many years ago, I have backed five of the last six winners. The one that got away was The Storyteller, but you certainly can’t win them all.

What’s your least favourite race of the Festival and why?

I understand that it serves a purpose to make sure that the Triumph doesn’t get swamped with runners, but it has to be the Boodles. The juvenile hurdling division would not be something that I would be getting overly excited about every year.

What horse gave you your biggest win at Cheltenham?

Al Boum Photo winning the Gold Cup in 2019. I wouldn’t consider myself a successful ante-post punter by any stretch at all, but I managed to get on Al Boum Photo at some nice prices up to 33/1 from the year prior. Rest assured that I have backed him every time since also and the horse has rarely let me down.

What horse was your biggest heartbreak loser at Cheltenham?

Discorama in the National Hunt Chase in 2019. He travelled everywhere for Barry O’Neill, who gave this horse an incredible ride, only to be nutted in the final 50 yards by Le Breuil.

Describe your standard Cheltenham Festival week?

My standard week will entail heading over on Monday night and to stay in Cheltenham for the week. Usually I am a big fan of getting to the races early, so we head up for around 11.30 and will sometimes go get ourselves a beer in the Guinness Village before it descends into madness later on in the day. When the racing takes over, it’s a bit of a whirlwind and it’s about trying to do everything in a short space of time. After racing, there’s only one place in my mind, The Feathered Fish - now that is an establishment.

And what’s your best tip for the 2022 Festival?

I am going to give you two to hopefully give myself a chance. Flooring Porter at 4/1 looks a good play in the Stayers’, with the track likely to suit him more so than Klassical Dream. While if you were looking for something a little outside the box, I am hopeful of a big run from Bardenstown Lad in the Albert Bartlett at 40/1 for John McConnell. Both horses have likeable profiles and hopefully can both run well! ?