How a tractor and Philip Hobbs rescued Cheltenham hopeful Bear Ghylls

Nicky Martin has had to battle with the weather to get stable star Bear Ghylls primed for his Cheltenham Festival prep run – having been snowed in at the start of week and unable to move her lorry.

Martin was forced to use Philip Hobbs's gallops 18 miles away on Monday and Tuesday, when her stable at the top of the moor in Minehead was covered in snow and she could not use her gallops. Even getting to Sandhill Stables was far from easy.

"It's been terrible – we were snowed in so we had to take him to Philip Hobbs's. We had to tow the lorry out with a tractor to get to the end of the drive, that's how much we had," said Martin.