‘You’re always thinking about it. Why would I ride X over Y? Will X be better on the ground? Where is Willie going to run X and Y? It’s mental’

It is hard to envisage it now, looking at the carefree, breezy figure in front of me; the sort of insouciant individual who would roll over for another snooze as a fire alarm blared in the background, not budging until the flames reached his feet. But for about a fortnight every year, Paul Townend steps out of character and becomes incredibly agitated; a form of mental torture absorbs him. 

"No matter what you're doing, whether you're driving, eating, watching TV, no matter what it is, you're always thinking about it," he says. "It", of course, being the Cheltenham Festival, the four days of the year that define him as a jockey. 

"If I ride X, what if Y comes out and beats X? How would I feel then? But why would I ride Y over X? Is X better than Y most days? Will X like better ground? Are X and Y even going to run in that particular race? Where is Willie [Mullins] going to run X and Y? It's mental."