Donald McCain: 'I look at other trainers and I'm amazed at their self-confidence - I'm scared to death of letting people down'

At first glance it would be easy to pigeonhole Donald McCain as a thick-skinned northerner, focused only on where his next winner is coming from, but underneath his rugged facade there is so much more than meets the eye.

His training CV includes a Grand National, six successes at the Cheltenham Festival and more than 1,600 career winners, yet it does not take long to understand that the fear of letting down his owners, their horses and the staff who look after them weighs heavily on his shoulders.

Sitting in his one-man office at Bankhouse Stables, situated in the peaceful estate of Cholmondeley Castle among the greenery of the Cheshire countryside, McCain does not try to hide the battle with his thoughts.