Paul Robson excited for future from Northumberland base

Arctic Ambition will be Robson’s first runner from Hazelrigg - the high-spec training centre built by Rose and Tony Dobbin - at Worcester on Monday. Robson and wife Steph recently made the move after outgrowing their former set-up at Spittal-on-Rule in the Scottish Borders.

Robson, who is also sending new recruit Inoue to Uttoxeter on Tuesday, is assembling a team of nearly 40 horses ready for the core jumps season this autumn. He said: “Taking over at Hazelrigg is a massively exciting opportunity for us and we can’t wait to get going now with our first runners. I’m very ambitious. I want to achieve big things as a trainer - and I believe we’re at the right place to do that.

“We have 32 horses in just now, plus orders for six more which we are in the process of sourcing. One thing I won’t shy away from is taking runners south if the right opportunity is there. The landscape of jump racing has changed and it’s something we need to be doing if we’re going to compete on a day-to-day basis, both financially and numerically.

“Whenever we’ve travelled south before, it’s usually been beneficial. We’ll continue to do that and run our horses wherever we think is right for them. Moving to Hazelrigg gives us an amazing opportunity to do that on a bigger scale.”

Cannock Park made a winning hurdles debut at Cheltenham last season before going on to be placed in the Grade 1 Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree. Fellow six-year-old Breizh River impressed in winning his first two starts over fences this summer and finished a close third in a valuable handicap at Uttoxeter last weekend.

Robson, 41, says the first-class facilities at Hazelrigg will allow him to maximise every horse’s potential. He added: “What Rose and Tony have built here is phenomenal and a real credit to them. We’re lacking absolutely nothing in terms of facilities.

“There’s everything from an equine swimming pool and indoor gallop and schooling facility, to a deep sand gallop, which is great for building up horses’ stamina, and a six-furlong gallop which is currently being relaid. When they were designing this place, Rose and Tony left absolutely no stone unturned in making sure they had everything on site to give their horses the best possible preparation.

“They sent out more than 200 winners from here, and won Eiders and Graded races. I’m unbelievably motivated to build on their success and achieve some big things for my owners and my staff.”

On Arctic Ambition, second at Cartmel last month, Robson added: "We were delighted with his run last time. He joined us from Gordon Elliott's yard towards the end of last year and we'd been getting to know him. We felt he was coming back to himself before that race and coming back in trip on better ground definitely helped his cause. Going up 4lbs for finishing second isn't ideal obviously but he's in good form and we're hopeful of a good run."

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