I've got a stark warning for all our rivals - if you thought we'd had a perfect storm up to now, it's only going to blow harder

You’ll be getting busy soon, people usually say around now. When hasn’t it been busy? Since last season finished we’ve been to Auteuil, Nashville, Ascot, Galway and Listowel. Not to mention Ballinrobe, Downpatrick, Killarney and Sligo.

Paradoxically, the ‘off season’ of the summer is busier than the winter. Summer racing happens more often than winter racing and it’s further away (from us at least) as it’s all west coast, while winter racing is generally east coast. Summer racing finishes about 8pm and is a couple hours from home; winter racing finishes about 3pm and is about an hour away.

We’ve had more than 250 runners this season, while Gordon Elliott has had nearly 500. Nicky Henderson and Paul Nicholls have had fewer than 150 between them. It’s a different game over here. For better or for worse.