When he spoke to The Local Answer, Kim Bailey was 37 not out. And if that sounds more like a cricket comment than racing talk, it certainly isn’t inappropriate for someone who is a big fan of all things bat and ball.

“Yes, I’m a member of Lord’s and I used to play a lot of cricket when I was younger,” said Bailey.

And while he’s made his name as one of the leading National Hunt trainers for three decades now, he’s clearly a bit of an all-rounder when it comes to sport.

“I played for the MCC when I was about 19,” he said. “I used to be an off-spinner and I’d bat at six. I was one of those who tried to knock it out of the ground!”

But while his cricket playing days are long gone – “Sadly, I’m too old now,” he chuckled – he’s still full on when it comes to the racing game, particularly at this time of the year with the Cheltenham Festival just around the corner.

That’s in terms of time, as well as geography, for Bailey, who set up base in glorious Gloucestershire – and specifically Andoversford – in September 2006.

“I love it round here,” he said. “I love Cheltenham and I love living in Gloucestershire.”

And like everyone else involved in jump racing he’s counting down the days and hours to the start of the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday 13th March – the start of four days of racing when just one winner catapults a trainer’s season to another level.

The aforementioned ‘37’ refers to the number of winners Bailey had trained – at the time of writing – this season. He’s averaged just a smidgen shy of 40 over the past seven seasons – a figure that in cricket terms would certainly be good enough to earn him a place in England’s current Test team!

It’s fair to say that the move to this part of the world has been good for Bailey and his team.

He set up base at Thorndale Farm after a difficult spell in Northamptonshire. Before that he was very much part of the hustle and bustle of Lambourn from where he enjoyed his greatest success.

His upturn in fortunes since moving to the Cotswolds has been gradual. But hard work – and plenty of it – has certainly paid dividends for a trainer who was rubbing shoulders with the very best in the 90s when saddling winners in the Grand National, Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle.

And while he has not quite matched those heights since – despite Darna’s success in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate (Grade 3 Handicap Chase) at the Cheltenham Festival in 2015 – he is still looking forward to this year’s spectacular as eagerly as if it were his first.

“It’s the pinnacle of National Hunt racing,” he said, “and for me it’s become even more special as I’ve got older. There’s no one in racing who goes into the Festival thinking it’s just another meeting.

“It’s always been a big event but over the past few years it’s just got bigger and bigger. It’s obviously over four days now but it’s everything else. The tented village is unbelievably comfortable, the new stand is phenomenal as is the parade ring and walkway.”

And what would top off a great four days is a winner, of course.

“Just one winner, in any race,” said Bailey. “That’s the golden moment. Ask Paul Nicholls the same question and he’ll give you the same answer. Every race is an Oscar.”

Bailey, who trained Mr Frisk to Grand National victory in 1990, had two very special golden moments back in 1995, of course, when Alderbrook’s win in the Champion Hurdle was followed two days later by Master Oats’ victory in the Gold Cup.

“You can’t turn the clock back,” he said, “but clearly you’d love to have horses of that calibre. But I’ve won the three big races so I consider myself very lucky.”

And with a bit of luck, he could be back in the Prestbury Park winner’s enclosure in a few weeks’ time.

“I’ve got some decent novices but whether they run or not is ground dependent,” he said.

Supporters of Bailey will know that those novices he is talking about are First Flow, Red River and Vinndication. If they do run and one of them of wins, one thing is for sure, Bailey will know what to do. After all, he’s one of those special few to have trained winners at the Festival before.