I DIDN’T know I had a ride in any race at Cheltenham until Monday morning. I knew I was here for the week, because Denise Foster wanted me to ride out every morning, but it was only when I saw the declarations that I saw I had a ride in the Grand Annual on Wednesday.

Then on Tuesday morning my agent Garry Cribbin phoned me to say I had the ride on The Shunter on Thursday. When I looked up the runners, I saw I was also down to ride The Bosses Oscar in the Pertemps. Two favourites! To be honest, I didn’t really look at them again that day, so as not to get too worked up about it.