'I'm doing everything for her': Jockey Freddie Gingell ahead of Cheltenham Festival

• Jockey Freddie Gingell and trainer Joe Tizzard speak to ITV News ahead of Cheltenham Festival.

With the Cheltenham Festival just days away, final preparations are underway for one of the biggest events in the racing calendar.

Jockey Freddie Gingell was just 16 when he run his first race under rules and, now aged 18, has recently seen more success when he unexpectedly won the Clarence House Chase.

Freddie Gingell said that despite how dangerous horse racing can be, there were many aspects of the sport that he liked.

He said: "The training everyday, taking the horses up the gallops, the schooling and the going to the races (...) I really enjoy it."

Freddie credits much of his success to his mother, Kim, who died in 2020 from cancer at the age of 43. He said he would not be where he is now had it not been for her support.

Freddie was just 14-years-old when she died. He said: "It's been quite hard. The first few years were very hard, but it's got me stronger to get through it.

"I know she would want me to do my best. I'm doing everything for her and she would want me to be doing this."

Although she wasn't there to see her son win his first professional race, or his subsequent successes, Freddie says he often thinks of how she would react.

He said: "She would be going mad, she would be over the moon with it. Because she had so much to do with it, she has a massive part to play in (every win)."

Although Freddie now trains with Paul Nicholls, he still spends time at his uncle - Joe Tizzard's yard.

Joe himself was a professional jockey for almost 20 years before becoming a trainer. He has now taken over the business from his father Colin and is proud of his nephew's successes.

Joe said: "Because he's my nephew, he's obviously going to get the family support from us anyway, but he's also a really good jockey.

"He's got that lovely sort of naiveté about him where he just gets on a horse and there's no negative thoughts.

"He just he just thinks they're going to win. He's 18-years-old doing what he loves doing."