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'I still love Cue Card completely – I'll look after him just like he'd won'
Stuart Riley spends time with those who have the strongest emotional bonds
The Cheltenham atmosphere is the stuff of legend but within the hallowed arena lies a small railed-off section at the end of the horsewalk where every emotion is magnified. It is the exact spot Might Bite is obsessed with running towards and it is not hard to see why – it is the place to watch racing.
It is from here that the grooms – those who beat dawn out the door every morning – watch the horses they love for the ten minutes they are not able to spoil them rotten. The emotions are extreme.
Two metres apart Holly Conte, who all but sleeps with Penhill according to Paul Townend, is breaking down in tears and spinning like a top not knowing what to do with herself while Chloe Angus, who ranks Sam Spinner above Mum and is mad in her affections, is among 16 others readying their brave face for their loved one’s return.
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