The weighing room: 'There aren't many spare rides. It's hard to be positive'

It's 8am on the third day of a new year and Rachael McDonald is already an hour into her old routine on Sandy Thomson's farm in the heart of the Scottish Borders.

As she has done for the past four years at Lambden Stables, she has spent the first part of her day mucking out. A stark contrast from the excitement of riding at the racecourse, but the mundane jobs need doing.

Away from the elite-level jockeys, with their retainers and helicopter journeys to the course, there are scores of others like McDonald pitching in with stable duties and scratching around for rides.