John McConnell: 'It's hard to believe I've had a Cheltenham Festival winner - I probably suffer from imposter syndrome'

For many of the major jumps operations, early autumn represents a relative lull as summer jumping winds down and aspirations begin to materialise before the winter stars filter out on to the track. It's a time when resources are assessed and adjusted before being deployed in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

But John McConnell doesn't do lulls. After undergoing relentless expansion in recent years, it's routinely all hands on deck.

During the last jumps season, the stable sent out 349 runners in Ireland and Britain, securing 44 victories, which comfortably eclipsed the previous best tally of 30 the campaign before. McConnell also saddled 509 runners on the Flat in 2022 across Britain and Ireland, with 34 winners, and has had 379 runners this year, with 13 victorious.