We have worked very hard at Barbury in building up a strong team for the Flat and, having increased both the quality and quantity, we won our owners more than £600,000 last summer, which is 10-times as much as we earned on the level six years ago.

However, deep down I am still first and foremost a jumping trainer – even though I hate the cold winters!

And when I look around the squad which we have lined up for the 2019-20 season, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

Cheltenham has always been number one in my book, but I would love to win a Grand National, and Charles Dingwall, who owns Talkischeap, our bet365 Gold Cup winner from Sandown last April, is very keen on a tilt at Aintree next April.

We also have a high-class two mile chaser in Sceau Royal, who happily may not see so much of Altior’s rear end this season, plus The Glancing Queen, who looked a bit special when winning the Aintree bumper.

Then there is Deyrann de Carjac, who has revelled in the switch from hurdles to fences, the returning Elgin, and a potentially smart recruit in On To Victory, who is rated 108 on the Flat so could be exciting if he takes to jumping.

No wonder Barbury is buzzing just now – we are literally jumping out of our skins in the mornings. Bring it on!

ALAN KING