Philip Hobbs: The inside track on my Cheltenham Festival team

Trainer Philip Hobbs issued a positive bulletin on stable star Thyme Hill who is firmly on course for next week’s Grade One Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

Hobbs has trained 19 winners at the Cheltenham Festival and the Minehead maestro has readied a small but select team for this year’s meeting at Prestbury Park.

Thyme Hill was a dual winner last term, culminating with success in the Ryanair Stayers Hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National. However, the eight-year-old is yet to taste success this term, finishing a well-beaten fifth on his return to action in the Grade One Grand Prix d'Automne at Auteuil before finishing second in the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in December.

Kept fresh since for this assignment, Hobbs is hopeful of a big performance from his stable star who is the general 7-2 second favourite for the three-mile event behind the Gavin Cromwell-trained Flooring Porter (5/2) who will bid to defend his crown.

Hobbs told SBK: “I couldn’t be happier with Thyme Hill which wasn’t the case this time last year when we had a few issues with his back.

“His preparation has gone very well indeed. He hasn’t run since the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot on purpose. We hope we have him where we want him.

“I’m sure Cheltenham suits him. He was a bit unlucky in the Albert Bartlett when he got interfered with going to the last. I’m not saying he’ll win but he has a very strong each-way chance.

If he could win at the Cheltenham Festival, it would be great because he’s been knocking on the door for a while.”

Another leading hope for the team is Sporting John who could either join his stable companion in the Stayers’ Hurdle for which he is a 12/1 chance or take up the option of running in the Pertemps Network Final Handicap Hurdle, which is also run on the Thursday of the meeting. Owned by JP McManus, Sporting John is the 6-1 favourite for the three-mile handicap.

The seven-year-old was a talented novice hurdler and also tasted Grade One success over fences. However, switched back to timber this season, Sporting John has won two of his three starts, scoring in Listed company at Cheltenham in November and also impressing when beating a smart field at Warwick in January. He looks set to carry 11st 11lb in the Pertemps if connections decide to go down that round, but a final decision on where he runs will be made in the coming days.

Hobbs continued: “I would imagine it will be a last-minute decision where Sporting John runs depending on JP McManus’ other runners. We’ll decide nearer the time.

“If he does run in the Pertemps he is 1lb off top-weight and he’s won two of his three races this season so he’s fairly exposed but there may be room for improvement.

“Last season he won the Scilly Isles Novice Chase at Sandown, which was his only win over fences, so unfortunately we lost his novice status. We didn’t intend to stay over hurdles all season, but it’s worked out so well that we have. He will be back over fences at some stage.”

Amongst the supporting cast, French import Celebre D’Allen has been a real success story for the yard, winning all three of his starts for Hobbs and he completed the hat-trick in fine style at Warwick last time out. The 10-year-old is the general 6/1 favourite for the Paddy Power Plate Handicap Chase on the Thursday of the meeting.

Former Cheltenham Festival winner Pileon runs in the Pertemps, but he disappointed at Cheltenham over three miles last time out having previously won at Sandown, whilst Camprond, a winner at Cheltenham in October has been kept fresh since filling fourth in the Greatwood Handicap Hurdle in November and runs in the Coral Cup.

Discussing the trio, Hobbs said: “We hope Celebre D’Allen goes on improving as he’ll need to. He would definitely want good to soft or softer. If the ground is suitable the plan is to run.

“We think two and a half miles is his right trip - that’s all he has ever ran over with us. He jumped beautifully when he won at Warwick and is in good form.

“Pileon is in the Pertemps and that’s where we will run him. He was a bit disappointing at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day having won well at Sandown the time before that. We’ve tried freshening him up since then without running him and he seems in good form. He'd have a reasonable each-way chance.

“It had been our intention to not run Camprond recently because we feel he wants better ground. He has got form on softer ground, but better ground is in his favour. I would imagine he would run in the Coral Cup. He is very fresh, a bit keen and is sometimes not the easiest.”