Like when the English trainer walks his dog. Or when he’s watching some of his horses work.

In that moment his attention always goes back to three certain moments in his life.

Like the time he had a runner at the Breeder’s Cup, or to the famed Ascot carnival, or when Prince of Arran ran third in the 2018 Melbourne Cup.

Why? Because Fellowes lives to be on the big stage.

Plucking around smaller races back in the UK might help pay the bills, but it’s in front of the thousands of screaming punters where Fellowes really wants his horses to be.

On Tuesday Fellowes will again step out from behind the curtain at Flemington when he saddles-up Prince of Arran for another crack at the Melbourne Cup.

“As much as I love winning races, I didn’t come into this game to win little poxy races around country tracks. That wasn’t what I wanted,” Fellowes told the Geelong Advertiser shortly after arriving in Australia.

“I came in because I love the theatre of the big days. And that’s where I want to be represented, that’s where I want my runners.

“So, there’s things like Royal Ascot, where I had a winner this year. The spring carnival here, the Breeder’s Cup, Dubai carnival … that’s where I want my horses to be running.

“And of all the places I’ve been to in all the world there are three that stand out. Royal Ascot, the Breeder’s Cup and the spring carnival.

“There are days when I’m stood out on the Heath at Newmarket watching the horses go by, or your walking the dog and your mind naturally wanders and you think about what it would be like (to win a Melbourne Cup).”

Fellowes’ journey to the top may have been a quick one, but the rising trainer has also worked unbelievably hard to get there.

Unlike so many trainers, Fellowes was never raised in a racing family.

His mother had a little bit of an interest, but it was Charlie that really fell in love with the sport.

It led him to work in Dubai and then in Australia with Lee Freedman before settling back in England as an assistant trainer for James Fanshawe.

After five years with Fanshawe, Fellowes decided to go out on his own and has been gradually working his way up the training ranks since.

“I just said to my parents that I want to work in racing and I think they thought it was a load of crap. I don’t think they thought for a minute that it was going to happen,” Fellowes said.

“But they encouraged it … and they said ‘if he falls out of love with it then it’s not for him’. “My first job was when I was 14 working on (school) holidays and it just went from there. I came out here when I was 22, worked here for a year (with Lee Freedman) in Mornington and then I moved back home.

“It’s been a gradual progression. We started well, I had a runner at the Breeder’s Cup in my first year at age 27. I don’t think I really appreciated it back then, but I now look back on it and think ‘jeez’.

“We have done really well at home. We are always around the top 40 trainers, but it’s hard at home.

“It’s very, very competitive, not much prizemoney and it’s not easy. The top boys tend to have a grip on the market.

“Trying to get your way up is not easy, but everyone is doing a great job and each year we have got better.”

Prince of Arran is the horse that has made Fellowes a household name with Australian racing folk.

His tough stayer almost delivered Fellowes his Melbourne dream last year. After securing the last spot in the race courtesy of a win in the Hotham Handicap, Fellowes’ galloper hit the front with about 350m to go, only to be charged down by impressive winner Cross Counter and second-placed Marmelo.

“I just remember so well the feeling and for a brief moment I genuinely thought he was going to win it. And that doesn’t happen very often in races because there’s not many times where you genuinely think that,” Fellowes said.

“When he got to the front and I couldn’t see anything coming … that feeling is what you live for.”

Prince of Arran is a different horse when he steps off the plane in Australia.

In his two visits Down Under so far, he has won this year’s Geelong Cup and last year’s Hotham.

He’s ran third in last year’s Melbourne Cup, third in last year’s Herbert Power Stakes and second in this year’s renewal.

Fellowes isn’t sure why exactly his horse grows an extra leg in Australia, but believes the style of racing really suits his galloper.

“We’re very lucky to have stumbled across a horse that thrives on travelling and thrives on the Australian style of racing,” he said.

“Back home he is okay, but he hates the English tracks. The tracks aren’t like what they are in Australia.

“All the tracks (here) are flat and round and they’ve got a couple of bends. In England every track is different and he just doesn’t like them.

“I don’t know if he doesn’t get in a rhythm or it hits his confidence or what it is.”

Prince of Arran has had to do things the hard way to make this year’s Melbourne Cup.

Despite his placing in last year’s race, the veteran wasn’t assured of his spot in the field with connections forced to once again win their way into the race.

After a narrow miss in the Herbert Power — which would have got Prince of Arran into the Caulfield Cup if he’d won — connections had to find an alternative route to the Melbourne Cup.

Fellowes was left with a couple of options. Wait until the Hotham again and try and sneak in the back door for a second time.

Or target a race like the Geelong Cup, hope to win it and then hope to earn a weight penalty which would bump him up the Melbourne Cup’s order of entry.

A chat with famed English trainer Luca Cumani — who had a number of narrow misses in the Geelong Cup — was enough to push him towards that race.

And Prince of Arran got the job done, running the fastest time in the Geelong Cup in 15 years with Michael Walker on board.

Racing Victoria’s chief handicapper Greg Carpenter then handed him a penalty to get him in into the Melbourne Cup.

Fellowes watched the Geelong Cup in bed with his wife, ducking home from his stables to watch it on his mobile phone.

A heavy load was lifted of Fellowes’ shoulders when Prince of Arran saluted and a week later he was on a plane to see his horse.

Fellowes, who has put his trust in travelling forewoman Tash Eaton for the Australian journey, arrived and couldn’t be happier with his galloper.

The lead up to this year’s Melbourne Cup has given him confident Prince of Arran is set to run another huge race this afternoon.

“I think we come here in better nick than last year, a better preparation than last year. He hasn’t travelled all over the world this year, he has way less miles on the clock,” Fellowes said.

“We’ve had two weeks to freshen up and really go into the race with a proper preparation. There’s loads and loads of positives.”

Also in Prince of Arran corner is Walker. The New Zealander is a hoop that has absolute faith in the stayer and will give him every chance from barrier eight today.

The pair have formed an amazing bond since Walker was legged up in last year’s Herbert Power and has been on him in every Australian start since.

“The relationship that he and Michael has struck up has transformed the horse. Every time Michael gets on him, he knows and the belief in what he is sitting on is amazing,” Fellowes said.

“I’m sure that helps.”

Prince of Arran is rated a $17 chance by bookies for today’s race, not that Fellowes cares about the odds.

Describing it as an “interesting race”, Fellowes doesn’t believe there is a clear standout in this year’s field.

“For me, there’s two I’m really scared about,” he said.

“I thought Mer De Glace was incredibly impressive the other day (when winning the Caulfield Cup). I feel like everyone is looking at the field behind him, looking at the unlucky horses.

“And I’m like: ‘guys, the winner hacked up. Why would you look at the horses behind him? Forget the horses behind him because the winner was unbelievably impressive’.

“If he stays two miles then we are all in so much trouble because he was head and shoulders above the field in the Caulfield Cup.

“And Cross Counter. Don’t rule him out.

“I know he hasn’t had a good a season (in England), but the way he won last year, you could have put another 10 stone on his back last year, he hosed up. He is a proper horse.

“But I wouldn’t swap (Prince of Arran) for anything.”