IN 1991 a young Willie Mullins advised me to back The Fellow for the Gold Cup. He was 33/1 and I knew of his trainer, Francois Doumen, and so I took the tip. He was beaten by a short-head by Garrison Savannah that year but I kept following the horse and he finally won the Gold Cup in 1994, beating Jodami.

That was the best Cheltenham I ever had. I backed Balasani to win the Stayers’ Hurdle and he got it in the stewards’ room, and I had Mysilv in the Triumph Hurdle, all in doubles and trebles.