Willie Mullins: 'It's always in your mind we could have a blowout at Cheltenham'

There is still that nauseating feeling deep inside his stomach. The symptoms start to surface around this time every year and, if anything, the cramps have worsened in recent years. The diagnosis? A fear of failure.

"Some year it will happen. We will have a blowout," says Willie Mullins from the sitting room of his home in Closutton. To me or you it might seem about as likely as Italy winning the Six Nations but the man himself is petrified of the prospect.

"It's always in the back of your mind that we could have a blowout at Cheltenham. The year we didn't have a winner until the Thursday I couldn't see one horse who should have won. They just weren't good enough. Everyone else's expectation is going to be your failure if you don't come up with the goods. That leaves a certain dread in your stomach. The week or two before the festival can be tough."