'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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