'This is a great place to work - not many people get to enjoy their job like me'

Perhaps it comes with the territory but, nevertheless, the level of positivity radiating from the weighing room at Hereford on a run-of-the-mill Tuesday in the first week of January is certainly uplifting.

When your day starts earlier than the milkman's and there is always a chance it could end with a visit to A&E, it wouldn't be much use riding over jumps if you were a glass-half-empty kind of person and the vibes from those in action on a clear but crisp afternoon are upbeat.

Take Nick Scholfield as a perfect example. He's travelled here after a morning on the gallops for just one ride on an unraced 50-1 shot in the juvenile hurdle, yet he emerges from the weighing room with a big grin on his face, seemingly delighted to be here, even if it is only a fleeting visit.