Danzeno puts best foot forward on Cup trail

Moving house is generally regarded as one of the most traumatic events a person can undergo, but Mick Appleby has made it look straightforward. Not for him the difficult transition, the wistful backward glance, the internal uncertainty – he hit the ground running and so did his horses.

"We moved here last December, and our first three runners won on the same day at Southwell," says Appleby, pointing to the photos on the wall. Rutland's top trainer – his yard is in Langham, just outside Oakham – considers his impressive new empire, the man who brought the blueprint to life.

"We started from scratch, designed everything to make it work for us. If it all goes wrong, it's my fault," he smiles. "I designed the gallop myself, and we've got 96 boxes in four barns, two horsewalkers, a big loose school of a furlong and a half round. I want to put a roof on the perimeter, make it a covered ride, but you can only do so much at a time. I've got planning permission to build a staff hostel and we'll build it up bit by bit.