'Everything we've got is first class' - Paul Robson excited to make a fresh start from his new base

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It's the first day of a new era for Paul Robson, who has moved stables since his last runner, just over a week ago. He is now a tenant at the Hazelrigg yard owned by Rose Dobbin and has hopes of a significant victory when he sends out his first runner from there, Arctic Ambition in the opener at Worcester. 

For his first four years as a trainer, Robson was based at a place called Spittal on Rule, midway between Hawick and Kelso in the Scottish Borders. Last week's move took him only about 35 miles to the east as the crow flies but his situation is much improved, both in terms of the facilities available to him and his access to the rest of the country. 

"It's quite a big thing," Robson says as we discuss the significance of Arctic Ambition. The Front Runner cheekily asks whether this is one of those runners who's been laid out to score, thereby advertising some important moment in the trainer's career, but of course such is not the case. 

"I'd love to say that was so," the trainer responds, "but we've not got a huge amount of summer jumpers. Hopefully, he'll go there with a bit of a chance. He ran really well at Cartmel last time." 

That was when Arctic Ambition, despite being sent off at 12-1, was beaten only by Donald McCain's Isholo Du Vivien in a 12-runner handicap chase. It was Arctic Ambition's best effort since he was with Gordon Elliott last summer and doubtless reflected the fact that he had been cut some slack by the handicapper, having dropped 18lb since October. 

Some of that slack has now been taken in, as he's been raised 4lb for his good Cartmel showing. "I thought that was a bit much," Robson opines. 

"Other than that, he's well, he's moved to the new yard and it's not taken anything out of him, he's quite happy. The trip and the ground will suit, he'll get a good ride from Craig Nichol. 

"If he's not giving away too much weight, I think he'll have a fantastic each-way chance. It's taken a little bit of time for us to know him." 

Cannock Park: Paul Robson's Cheltenham winner is set to go chasing this seasonCredit: Andrew Parker

Today's race is quite a hot-looking 14-runner affair, in which the market favours Chemical Warfare from the David Pipe yard, a winner over hurdles last time. You can get 11-1 about Arctic Ambition at the time of writing. 

Whatever happens at Worcester, Robson is delighted by his new base. "I don't think there'll be very many yards in the whole country that have the facilities we've got now," he says. "Rose and Tony knew what they were doing when they built the place, that's for sure. 

"The stable yard is beautiful. Aesthetically, it's gorgeous. 

"Where we're going to be working the horses, we've got a two-furlong Wexford gallop. We've never had access to anything like that in terms of getting the bigger horses fit and to try and get that stamina into them. For core, base fitness, that should bring us on a country mile. 

"There's a swimming pool for any horse that's got small injuries, which can only be good for them. We had that at Jonjo's and we know exactly how to use it." He's referring to his time as a jockey, when he rode for O'Neill during the trainer's Penrith years. 

Work is going on to resurface another of Dobbin's existing gallops, with woodchip for speed work. "Everything we've got is first class," Robson concludes. 

It's a great pity that Dobbin decided to wrap up her own training business after a 15-year career in which she won, among other notable prizes, the Eider Chase with Rocking Blues. "You can't keep losing money year on year," she said, when announcing the news in April. "I've also got young children and I want to have more time for them." 

Rose Dobbin: stopped training earlier this yearCredit: JOHN GROSSICK

"Rose lives less than 500m from my house," Robson reports. "She'll be here and her knowledge is obviously fantastic to have on-site. I'm pretty sure she'll pop the breeches on at some point and come and ride out a couple of horses." 

Now that he's based there, just four miles from the A1, Robson's name may turn up more often on racecards in the south. "Where we were before, it was a full hour before we got to either the M6 or the A1, so that makes all the difference for us." 

Cannock Park is Robson's star, a winner at Cheltenham's November meeting on his hurdles debut and then third at 40-1 in Aintree's new Grade 1 novice hurdle on Boxing Day. He ran to an even higher level when third in a Grade 2 at Kelso in March, beaten just a couple of lengths. 

Predictably enough, as a point-to-point winner at Alnwick, he'll go novice chasing this autumn. "I'd imagine we'll earmark a two-mile novice chase at Ayr," Robson says. 

"He prefers to go left-handed, he almost needs to have a running rail because he hangs ever so slightly, just through habit." 

Breizh River, who has already won his first two starts over fences, is now to have a late summer holiday. "He'll be off for three months," Robson says of the 124-rated six-year-old. He'll bring him back in plenty of time to have a go at a decent pot or two in the spring.

Robson reports he has 32 horses in just now, with orders for six more, who are being sourced. Hopefully, his will be a yard worth following in seasons to come. 

Read this next:

Meet the part-time trainer and undertaker relishing taking on powerhouse yards in Boxing Day Grade 1 

Who am I?

Today's clue:

"The most enjoyable job I ever had in racing was at a high-profile yard in Lambourn - though it didn't do much for my career in the saddle. With the way my weight was going, plus the fact I won on my first ride over hurdles, you'd think I would have stuck there. But switching to Newmarket proved the making of me. Even there, I joined a yard which had jumpers as well as Flat racers. Their main Flat jockey got injured, I got some rides on some old horses who ran well and soon I was getting most of the rides. I think that trainer just didn't like casting around for jockeys. It suited him to settle for me."

It's the start of a new week in our 'Who Am I?' quiz, based around a different racing personality each week. We'll give you a new clue every day, with the answer revealed on Friday.

Think you know who it is? Email frontrunner@racingpost.com to say who. I'll give a mention to everyone who gets it right.

Congratulations to Chris Gordon, who correctly identified Triptych as last week's mystery personality, about five minutes after Monday's Front Runner was sent out. 

Three things to note on Monday . . .

1. Willie Mullins is back with a jumps runner in Britain for the first time since May. The champion trainer - on both sides of the Irish Sea - won twice with his three British runners that month, at Fontwell and Warwick, having never previously sent a jumps runner over in the month of May. Today brings his first ever British runner in the month of July; it's Fine Margin, who hacked up in a maiden hurdle at Fontwell when last seen. Cheekpieces are added as he tackles a novice hurdle at Worcester, a venue previously unknown to both trainer and today's jockey, Patrick Mullins. Fine Margin is giving at least half a stone all round but will be odds-on to win anyway.​​​

Fine Margin15:10 Worcester

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Jky: Mr P W Mullins Tnr: W P Mullins

2. David Dennis knows Worcester pretty well, having ridden winners there as well as trained them. He sends an interesting couple of newcomers to his yard there today, starting with Moodofthemoment in a staying handicap hurdle. The seven-year-old tried four handicaps, mostly over fences, for David Pipe and fared poorly but his mark has come down a bit and he won three point-to-points in a row this spring. Half an hour later, in a 2m4f handicap hurdle, comes Danny's Friend, whose first four starts were for Michael Scudamore. He got outpaced on his handicap debut but this step up in trip should help. 

Moodofthemoment16:20 Worcester

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Jky: Tom Bellamy Tnr: David Dennis

Danny's Friend16:50 Worcester

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Jky: Nick Scholfield Tnr: David Dennis

3. Having made a quiet start to the year, Darryll Holland is suddenly flying along, with four winners from his last seven runners - albeit two of those wins were achieved by the same horse, Love Your Work, who scored on consecutive days at Leicester and Yarmouth. Holland's pair at Wolverhampton this evening will be worth a look, especially Frankfreya, whose best effort this year was at the same track in May. His only success, for Roger Teal last year, came at Chelmsford, so it was no great surprise that turf with some give in it did not suit at Beverley last time. The Cracksman gelding tackles a 7f handicap and gives veteran jockey Jimmy Quinn a chance of a first winner of the year.

Frankfreya17:55 Wolverhampton (A.W)

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Jky: Jimmy Quinn Tnr: Darryll Holland

Read these next:

What's on this week: Group 1 action at the July meeting, Grand Prix de Paris and a major trophy tilt for England 

A horse to take from the Eclipse, a sprinter to forgive and a future top-level winner? Three things we learned this week 

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The Front Runner is our unmissable email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, the reigning Racing Writer of the Year, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday. Not a Members' Club Ultimate subscriber? Click here to join today and also receive our Ultimate Daily emails plus our full range of fantastic website and newspaper content.