Virus beaten: Rose Dobbin set to have first runners since April

Rose Dobbin will saddle her first runners since April at Perth on Monday after her yard was laid low by a respiratory virus.

Lady London and California Soul will represent the Northumbria-based trainer, who said that her yard had suffered "one problem after another" last term.

Dobbin, who sent out a career-best 25 winners in the 2017-18 season, said: “We’re back with our first runners of the season at Perth and the whole team is really excited. What happened last season with a virus has been well-documented.

“However, since drawing stumps in the spring, we’ve undergone a rigorous programme of anti-contamination procedures and given the horses plenty of time off to recover.

"The people I’m most disappointed for are the owners. I’d like to put on record just how amazingly supportive they’ve been through this. They’ve been extremely understanding and patient and I can’t thank them enough.”

Rocking Blues: won the 2016 Betfred Eider ChaseCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Lady London tackles the Rewarding Ownership With The ROA Novices' Handicap Chase (2.35), while California Soul runs in the 2m TGO Creative Design, Print And Web Handicap Hurdle (4.10).

Dobbin, who landed the Eider Chase with Rocking Blues and Haydock's Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle with Jonniesofa in 2016, added that the prolonged break may have been a benefit for her less experienced horses.

She said: “We give our younger horses plenty of time to strengthen and mature anyway, but the fact they had a lighter time of things than usual won’t have done them any harm.

“We’ve got a really good team of younger horses, probably our biggest and best yet, and I’m really looking forward to seeing them show their true colours in the months ahead.

“I’ll be a wee bit anxious to see them run, which is understandable when we’ve been out of action for as long as we have, but I’m cautiously optimistic that we can have a really good season.”

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