'I still remember the look on Paul Nicholls' face - but it would have been a lot worse if I hadn't held on!'

There's no denying it, Joe Tizzard would give his right arm for another Tingle Creek winner, but probably only figuratively. This morning, though, he's almost literally given a thumb for the cause.

Luckily 'Ten-Digit Joe' is still sporting the full complement as we sit down to discuss his relationship, past and present, with the great Sandown showpiece, but plans to illustrate the story with pictures of his current star two-miler JPR One almost ended in a dash to A&E with a severed appendage in a Tupperware box full of ice.

The trainer seems aware of the perils of such a photo call, but unperturbed: "You ask him to stand still and he'll do it for 30 seconds. He'll tolerate me stroking his face for ten seconds, then he'll shake his head and tell me to get off, looking around at everything.