The undertaker dreaming of Cheltenham Festival glory after unearthing Supreme contender

PAUL ROBSON is an undertaker during the week, but he may need to book some time off for the Tuesday of the Cheltenham Festival.

He splits his time between the family business and training, and Cannock Park has him dreaming of Supreme glory in March.

Cannock Park holds on… JUST

A determined display in the https://t.co/jlLQ5b1ISk Maiden Hurdle pic.twitter.com/u9RoLOZp22

— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) November 19, 2023

Cannock Park was sent off 15-2 for a competitive looking maiden hurdle at Cheltenham on Sunday but he turned into a procession.

Despite being plenty keen in the early stages, his jockey Craig Nichol always cut a confident figure.

The pair sprinted five lengths clear between the final two flights and despite getting understandably tired, he held off his rivals well.

He has a quote of 33-1 for the Supreme and Robson could be forgiven for getting excited.

Robson said: “I wanted to come here and win a race instead of somewhere else as it is Cheltenham at the end of the day.

“It is lovely to come here with a nice horse. I’m pretty much flabbergasted to be fair.

“It is what everyone says it is, it is a dream. We will come back in March.”

Cannock Park was Robson’s first Cheltenham runner, while Nichol was riding a well-deserved first Cheltenham winner.

Robson was formerly a jockey but his career was cut short in 2005 after suffering a terrible injury from a fall.

He now splits his time between training and the family business based in Hawick in the Scottish Borders.

He landed his first winner as a trainer at Kelso in 2021. Further wins have come at Ayr, Leicester, Newcastle, Perth, Uttoxeter, and now the home of jumps racing.

Paul’s team of staff includes wife Steph, who is herself a dressage rider, and they look to have a top-notch jumper on their hands.

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