My Haven FRANCESCA CUMANI

ITV’S Cheltenham Festival racing expert and commentator, 38, at her farmhouse near Newmarket

1 WINNING WAYS

I loved growing up in Newmarket surrounded by horses and racing – this is my dad Luca, who trained two Derby winners, with me after a win at Goodwood in 2007. He and my mum Sara had about 120 horses and it was a team effort. I was an amateur jockey myself, and had four wins. After travelling for work and stints in Australia and Argentina, I’m loving living here with my son Harry, who’s four, near my parents who now run a stud farm.

2 HOT SEAT

This saddle belonged to Frankie Dettori, who was an apprentice jockey to my dad many moons ago and was my idol as a child. He had a real swagger. I remember him coming into the kitchen, grabbing a whole ball of mozzarella from the fridge and eating it straight from the packet. He’s the most beautiful rider to watch in the saddle, and to still be doing what he’s doing at the age of 50 is phenomenal.

3 SUPER STEED

Purple Moon got me into broadcasting. I accompanied him to the Melbourne Cup in Australia in 2007 as part of my dad’s team. He was just beaten into second place and after giving a few interviews I was signed up by a TV company there. The next year I presented the race on TV. Nicknamed George, he has a lovely, playful character and, at 18, has free rein of my garden and sticks his head through the kitchen window for apples and carrots.

4 MOTHER OF ALL BATTLES

My mum and I rode as amateurs in the same race twice, the Queen Mother’s Cup at York. I love this picture taken in 2004 after she’d won. I beat her the next year, and won it again the following year. It’s the race all the lady amateurs want to win because the prize is your weight in Champagne. I think my older brother Matt, who’s also a trainer, ended up drinking most of it.

5 OUR MARVELLOUS MENAGERIE

We have some of the boldest chickens you’ll ever meet – two of them are in this picture and they’re all hilarious. They’re not remotely bothered by the presence of George or our young lurcher here, Poochita. She did need a few lessons not to chase them around, and she’s fine around the horses too – lurchers think there’s nothing better than going for a good gallop alongside a racehorse.

6 IN GRANDMA’S FOOTSTEPS

These Mario Valentino shoes were owned by my Italian grandma Elena, and I still wear them. She was very determined. When my grandad was training horses in Italy she hardly saw him, so she decided to get in on the action and take riding lessons, saying she wanted to race within a year – she did and became Italian amateur champion. She was so elegant too. I’d visit her in Milan and she opened my eyes to fashion.

As told to Andrew Preston. Francesca will be presenting the Cheltenham Festival from Tuesday to Friday on ITV Racing. Visit greatbritishracing.com