'It's fantastic for me but I'm gutted for Tom' - Hobbs turns to loyal jockey for Thyme Hill ride

Philip Hobbs has turned to Micheal Nolan for the high-profile ride on Thyme Hill in the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at Cheltenham next month following confirmation that Tom O'Brien will miss the festival with a dislocated shoulder. 

Nolan has been with Hobbs for more than a decade and his first thought was for O'Brien, who has ridden Thyme Hill in every start since taking over as stable jockey after the retirement of Richard Johnson. 

"It's fantastic for me but I'm genuinely gutted for Tom because he's not just a top jockey but he's also a very good friend," said Nolan, who is on 13 winners for the season. "It's great to have been called up for the ride and to know the owners and guv'nor have got the confidence in me. I've been with Philip for 12 years now and this shows again how incredibly loyal he is to his jockeys."

Nolan has suffered more than his own fair share of injuries, including fracturing two vertebrae and ribs in June 2021. The ride aboard Thyme Hill, who is a best-priced 6-1 to add the Brown Advisory to his Grade 1 success in the Kauto Star Chase at Kempton, will be the biggest to date in the 33-year-old's career.

"This is my first chance of a good ride at a festival or in a big race, so I'm obviously excited," said Nolan. "The horse has run five times at Cheltenham and placed every time, so we know he likes the track, and he is also already a Grade 1 winner over fences. 

Micheal Nolan will take over from the injured Tom O'Brien aboard Thyme Hill at CheltenhamCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

"I haven't thought yet about how I'll ride him but I'll be speaking with Tom – who is brilliant at tactics and giving advice – and I'll be schooling him on Monday as well."

Hobbs had no hesitation in handing the stable number one job to O'Brien after years as understudy to Johnson and was rewarded almost instantly when Thyme Hill won the Grade 1 Liverpool Hurdle in April 2021. He has once again stayed close to home in siding with Nolan.

He said: "Tom definitely won’t be back in time for Cheltenham – he might for Aintree – so Micheal Nolan, who is based here as well, will ride him. "He’s extremely capable and was second in the conditional jockeys’ championship a few years ago. 

"Micheal has been unlucky with injuries and thankfully this season so far he’s been injury free.  He started here in 2010, he’s been here a long time."

Hobbs also said that he hoped the formalities to add Johnson White to his name on a new joint training licence would be completed "in the next few weeks."

Read these next:

Tom O'Brien joins 'gutted' James Bowen on Cheltenham Festival injury list 

The key British and Irish formlines to follow at this year's Cheltenham Festival 

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