Okavango Delta – Perth

THERE’S no doubt OKAVANGO DELTA (3.20) is on a recovery mission heading to Perth today, after a poor effort at Warwick last time. After winning so impressively for us at Worcester in May following a break, we took him down there and the plan backfired.

In hindsight, taking him away overnight for a race which didn’t start until 9pm the following evening wasn’t the best idea because he’s never been a horse who has liked being out of his familiar surroundings for too long. He didn’t eat up very well when he was down there and I think the long trip just got the better of him.

Fitness-wise, I thought I had more to work with coming off the Worcester run but that wasn’t the case on the day.

We have given him a few weeks back at home doing a few different things just to freshen him up again, like taking him to the beach with his pal Aazza, and he’s looked back to himself again lately. He schooled yesterday and looked great so we’re heading to Perth hoping to see a better effort.

Ryan takes the ride again, he’s getting to know him really well now so we hope he’s got another run like the Worcester one in him.

It’s a competitive race, with a few horses in the same boat as us looking to put below-par efforts last time behind them and I’m sure everyone will be expecting theirs to improve again!

We know the trip and ground are fine for him, while Perth is a track which should suit given his good form previously round Musselburgh.

Obviously when you are looking for a horse to bounce back from the kind of race he ran last time, there is an element of the unknown about it until they actually run, but all the signs at home have been positive and we’re hoping for a good effort.