'God knows where I'd be without Emma Lavelle - I'd probably be dead'

There's never a moment's peace when you're a freelance groom in one of racing's heartlands. For Josh Howells, the week will be dedicated to answering phone calls from trainers and stable owners who require his help breaking in yearlings. He expects to be out of the house from 6.30am every day until way past dark.

The decision to leave behind Emma Lavelle's yard and greats like Paisley Park in March in order to go it alone was a difficult one, but it was a mere ripple compared to the waves of challenges the 27-year-old has faced recently. While he is helping to set the young thoroughbreds on their way to live their best lives, Howells is on his own similar journey.

Howells is a recovering alcoholic. He has been sober for nearly a year now and he has a new home, a partner, a job and, most importantly, a life he loves. It is a far cry from when the disease crippled him to the extent he could not see that his life was worth living anymore.