If I had my way, more people would make a living from the game

I rode my first winner at 18 on a good old horse called Bickleigh Bridge for John Roberts. John had been head lad to John Baker, then he started up on his own, and it was a real struggle for him, but although this one was a 33-1 shot, I knew it was his best horse.

I was very nervous when I got on him in the paddock, even more nervous when John said to me: "Lukey, I really need this." Then he gave me my instructions: "Stick to him like s*** to a blanket, Lukey boy."

It always stuck in my mind how much it means to a smaller trainer to have a winner of any kind. Racing's become so Premier League these days that sometimes we forget about the people lower down the ladder and how tough it can be for them.