The peak months of the jumps season may seem a long way off as the sun beats down on Gloucestershire, but the process of getting horses ready for top races is already beginning in earnest at stables around the county.
After the hustle and bustle of the winter, yards became relatively quiet places after the top horses were packed off for a well-deserved break with their owners and staff enjoyed some time away themselves to recharge their batteries.
But now visitors to stables in Gloucestershire, many of whom have already enjoyed success with their 'summer' horses, will start to witness the gradual return of both horses and employees in readiness for the big tests ahead.
It is an exciting time for everyone involved – owners, trainers and stable staff – with dreams still very much alive of competing on the greatest stage of all at Cheltenham in March.
For many the reality will hit home months before then and those sought after trips to Prestbury Park will remain out of reach, but for now, at least, the dream is still alive.
As Luckley trainer Martin Keighley says, "It is a fun time of year as there are plenty of plans being made and lots of hope, anticipation and excitement.
"I'm often a little more nervous, though, as the horses are fresh and I'm anxious they don't unship their riders and get loose!"
Thoughts about what the season may bring start as soon as a parade of horseboxes arrive at the likes of Jonjo O'Neill's powerful Jackdaws Castle headquarters bringing horses back from wherever they have spent their breaks up and down the country.
Comments such as 'Has he grown?', 'They've done a great job with her at home', and 'He looks a lot stronger' will no doubt be ringing out as horses are walked off the horseboxes and taken to the living quarters which will be their homes for the autumn, winter and spring months.
Like any athlete after a break, some horses will have put on more weight than others, but it won't take long for trainers to assess what needs to be done for them in terms of diet and training regimes to lose any excess poundage.
Initially, horses will be ridden out for walks around the yard, or the lanes nearby, for a few weeks to provide some base fitness.
When the trainers are happy with their condition, training regimes will be gradually stepped up to include more strenuous work on the training gallops to build-up them up to race fitness, with an eye on potential future targets in the autumn.
Making plans for the best horses is a relatively straightforward matter, with the season virtually mapped out for them across a series of high-profile meetings around Britain.
Jonjo O'Neill will probably be considering races like the Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby on November 1 and the Betfair Chase at Haydock on November 22 for Cheltenham Gold Cup contenders Holywell and Taquin Du Seuil.
Kim Bailey's stable star Harry Topper may go north to defend his crown in the Charlie Hall, while it would be no surprise if David Bridgwater's flagbearer The Giant Bolster headed up the M6 for another shot at the Betfair.
Nigel Twiston-Davies could again kick off The New One's countdown to the Champion Hurdle in the International Hurdle at the December meeting at Prestbury Park and Tom George's stable star Module may start his season in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter on November 4,
The excitement will start to grow too at Ben Pauling's ambitious yard in Bourton-on-the-Water following the arrival of high-profile chaser Kauto Stone, for whom top handicap chases are likely targets.
So much will change over the next seven months, but for now trainers and their staff are pulling out all the stops to ensure the vital groundwork gets done properly, anxious that no stone is left unturned in the pursuit of glory.
