'It's my ambition to have a runner in the Grand National'
Irish trainer John McConnell, 42, gets our weekly grilling
What advice would you give your ten-year-old self?
I would repeat to myself the old saying, better one day as a lion than a hundred years as a lamb.
Would you rather win the Cheltenham Gold Cup or be champion trainer?
Champion trainer. I think it's a better judgement of how good you are.
If you could play any other sport professionally, which would it be and why?
Golf. I play it quite badly but I would like the lifestyle, travelling the world and staying in the best hotels, and there's a longevity to your career if you reach the top that most sports don't have. You're also relying on your own performance instead of a team situation.
What do you think racing does best?
I like the community aspect. Even though we're all competing against each other there is that community spirit and you would never be stuck for anything if you needed it.
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Published on inInterviews
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- 'I've never paid six figures for a horse and never will - I learned pretty quickly you're only one phone call away from f*** all'
- 'I’ve trained some fabulous horses, worked with some excellent riders - maybe I have brought a little bit of talent to the table as well'
- ‘When you’re in the moment and you’re starved, you’re ready to explode - everything built up and I just lost my s**t’
- 'He must have his breakfast earlier than Willie does' - Patrick Mullins goes behind enemy lines at Gordon Elliott's yard
- 'You can see why people end up struggling - when you're trying to pay the electric bill, losing one ride can be massive'
- 'I've never paid six figures for a horse and never will - I learned pretty quickly you're only one phone call away from f*** all'
- 'I’ve trained some fabulous horses, worked with some excellent riders - maybe I have brought a little bit of talent to the table as well'
- ‘When you’re in the moment and you’re starved, you’re ready to explode - everything built up and I just lost my s**t’
- 'He must have his breakfast earlier than Willie does' - Patrick Mullins goes behind enemy lines at Gordon Elliott's yard