From a Big Mac wannabe, Matt Chapman has come an awfully long way

It was almost two years ago now, Greatwood Hurdle day at Cheltenham in fact, when I met Matt Chapman for the first time. Along with former Sun journalist Steve Jones, we were joining Richard Hoiles to discuss the main talking points of the past week in a segment on ITV's coverage later that day.

While waiting for a cameraman I tried to fill the time with some small talk. Big mistake. "Fancy anything today, Matt?" "How is your weekend going?" That sort of thing. He muttered some sort of sarky reply, but had about as much interest in talking to me as Liam Gallagher has in speaking to Noel. The steps of the grandstand became an oasis of silence. Then, bang, the cameraman arrived and we were live. Matt went into full Matt mode.

Our own Peter Thomas began his interview with Chapman back in March with a glorious opening paragraph.