Cartmel and Open Day

IT’S been a low-key five weeks on the track, but it’s been anything but the quiet life for myself, Steph and all the team at Hazelrigg.

Since our last runner, we’ve had our new all-weather gallop laid and got that up and running, which is great. I’ve been away to Ireland to source some more horses (some of which you’ll find on our Horses For Sale page – https://www.paulrobsonracing.co.uk/horses-for-sale/) and we’ve been stepping up the horses’ work on the deep-sand Wexford round gallop in preparation for the beginning of October, when I’ve got a few early-season targets mapped out.

ARCTIC AMBITION has had a few weeks off since finding things happening a bit too quickly for him over 2m4f at Worcester. I’m really looking forward to getting him back to Cartmel on Saturday (4.35), though, as it’s a track he’s run well at for us already this summer and for Gordon Elliott before that.

I’m putting a pair of blinkers on him for the first time too. He’s not an ungenuine horse in any way, but he didn’t attack the fences at Worcester with quite as much gusto as I’d like. He’s worked and schooled really nicely in the blinkers at home, so hopefully they’ll have a positive effect on the track. He’s certainly on good terms with himself just now.

After winning on The King Of May over this course and distance at the last meeting, Craig Nichol was always going to ride Brian Ellison’s horse again here. As everyone knows, Craig is going to be a big part of our new venture at Hazelrigg.

Henry Brooke was also unavailable this weekend, so I’m delighted to have got Sean Bowen who is a more than able deputy! Sean’s ridden for us once before, when winning on Magic Mike at Southwell last October, so he’s got a 100-per-cent record to try to preserve…

Hopefully the addition of blinkers on Arctic Ambition will give Sean a bit of help and see our lad travel into his fences with a bit more purpose, especially the four down the wood side as they come up pretty quickly. I suspect Brian’s horse will be tough to beat, but our fella ticks a lot of boxes and I expect him to run well.

We won’t be putting our feet up on Sunday as we’re having our first Open Day. It’s a great chance to meet our team of horses for the season ahead, see first-hand the superb facilities we have on site here at Hazelrigg and enjoy a refreshment or two. I’ve even made a note to make sure I book some sunny late-summer weather!

The yard will be open from 1pm-3pm and everyone’s welcome. Hope to see as many of you here as possible!
Cheers

Paul