This Week’s Runners + Cannock Park

OKAVANGO DELTA heads to Stratford on Sunday as our first runner of the new National Hunt season – and the yard’s first since the middle of March.

As I outlined last week in the update on the Paul Robson Racing Club, we’ve had a few issues lately which knocked back the training of our horses.

I won’t go over them all again here, but it’ll be a relief to get racing again, that’s for sure!

Okavango has been a star for us since we took care of him from Rose Dobbin a couple of years ago, winning three times and running several placed efforts too.

He’s turned ten since he was last on the track but the spark is still there.

We’ve secured Sean Bowen to ride him and he’ll have to run right up to his best in this as he’s still a few pounds above his last winning mark, but he’s run well fresh in the past so we’re looking forward to getting going again.

After that we’ll be heading to Hexham on Tuesday with DIAMOND MIX, who was third at Newcastle on his last run off a revised handicap mark after two wins on the bounce.

We know he likes Hexham and the horse in front of him at Newcastle the last time has won since, so the form of that race looks okay and he’s beaten a few of the other horses in this one before. He’s a talented horse so we’d be hopeful of a nice run there.

Our Racing Club horse RAVENSWELL has two entries for Musselburgh on Thursday, with the 2-mile amateur riders’ option the most likely destination for him.

He’s run well on the flat before off the mark he currently has (53) and went very close to winning at Carlisle last season over 1m3f, so the step up in trip shouldn’t hold any fears.

The longer-term plan with him is to go hurdling, so we’ll get a good handle on his stamina after Thursday’s race.

Also, we have CANNOCK PARK back in training with us after a few months away – which is great news!

He’s been working away well and riding him, he feels like the power of old again so we’re excited to get him back on the racecourse.

It will probably be another month before he’s ready and Hexham in the middle of June looks a likely target for his comeback.