Sober Glory raises spirits with smart Chepstow performance

Sober Glory appears booked for bigger things after maintaining his unbeaten record with a flawless hurdling debut at Chepstow.

Held in the highest regard by Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, the five-year-old arrived at the Welsh venue having created a real impression in bumpers last season and easily justified 1-2 favouritism in division two of the Angela Nettlefold Memorial ‘National Hunt’ Maiden Hurdle.

He could now head straight to the top table, with Aintree’s Formby Novices’ Hurdle on Boxing Day an option having delighted his team with a performance they were somewhat expecting from their star prospect.

White said: “He jumped, he travelled and Ben Jones kept it straightforward on him and he couldn’t have been more impressive – he’s very exciting.

“One of the lads in the yard said to me ‘what did I think’ and I said he did exactly what I hoped he would do, but what you hope and what they actually do are two different things.

“We’ve been excited all summer by him, but now he’s got literally the first hurdle out of the way we can start making some really nice plans for him.

“He’s a horse who travels well over two, but will get further as well. We’ll see how he is and make sure he’s OK and then we’ll decide if we step up in trip now, or stay at two miles and look at a Tolworth (Formby) or something like that.

“We’re just glad to get today out the way and see a good, positive run and go from there. There is plenty to dream about at the moment anyway.”

Welshman Sam Thomas and jockey Dylan Johnston enjoyed a double on the card when Rocking Man’s (5-6 favourite) cosy success in the opening Heckler & Koch – No Compromise Maiden Hurdle was supplemented by the win of Palacio (4-1) in the NMS UK Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase.

David Pipe’s Kingston Queen (evens favourite) was another to impress when readily claiming division two of the Heckler & Koch – No Compromise Maiden Hurdle.

A Listed bumper winner, who was last seen placing in a Grade Two at Aintree’s Grand National Festival, she could see her sights raised once again after running out a seven-length scorer in the hands of Jack Tudor.

Pipe said: “She put in a lovely performance, stayed well and did what we hoped she might do.

“All the races, especially the novice and maiden hurdles, were competitive today because everyone has been waiting for the ground and the second (Kripticjim) is a nice horse. But you hoped she might go and win today and she did it well, she just idled a little bit in front.

“We could keep it low key and run in a novice under a penalty, but we could also go to Newbury for the mares’ Listed hurdle over two miles (Play Coral “Racing-Super-Series” Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle).

“We’ll see what the weather does and how she comes out of the race – give her an easy week and see what happens.

“She’s a strong stayer and it would be back in trip, but she did well at that distance in the bumper at Aintree on ground that was quicker than ideal.”