Red-hot Hobson books Sam Waley-Cohen for National Hunt Chase hope Lord Du Mesnil

There is no trainer in better form going into the Cheltenham Festival than Richard Hobson and he has secured the services of Gold Cup-winning amateur Sam Waley-Cohen for leading British hope Lord Du Mesnil in the National Hunt Chase on Tuesday.

Hobson’s last three runners have been winners and Lord Du Mesnil – the shortest-priced runner from the home challenge at 9-1 with William Hill, Betfair Sportsbook and Paddy Power – arrives on the back of a career-best second in the Unibet Grand National Trial at Haydock last month.

Owned by Paul Porter and Mike and Mandy Smith, the seven-year-old returned from a summer break with a mark of 115 but is now rated 153 after a fantastic campaign with three wins and three seconds in his last six starts.

Waley-Cohen landed the race, reduced in trip this year to 3m5f 201y from 3m7f 147yds, aboard Tricky Trickster in 2009 and will partner Lord Du Mesnil so long as underfoot conditions are suitable for the progressive chaser.

Long Run: Gold Cup winner for Sam Waley-Cohen in 2011Credit: John Grossick

Hobson, who saddled Shantou Flyer to finish second at the last two festivals, said: “Lord Du Mesnil is in great order and we have a big jockey for the big occasion in Sam, who is local to us.

"Stamina is his forte and he’s a different horse on soft ground. If it’s good to soft we won’t run him but if it’s soft, good to soft in places or easier we’ll take our chance.

“Lord Du Mesnil always had the potential to rise through the ranks like he has. He hadn’t fully acclimatised during his first season with us and we ran him at the wrong sort of tracks.

“That's the unknown going into Cheltenham as his best form has been on flat tracks. We've ran him at Cheltenham and Sedgefield but when the ground or trip was not right so hopefully he'll be better suited with the right conditions.”

It has been a remarkable campaign for Hobson, who has 12 horses in training and around 20 youngsters at his Gloucestershire base, with 12 winners and 17 other first-four finishers from 43 runners at a 28 per cent strike-rate.

Hobson said: “The horses have been healthy and that’s been the key. They have been fit and well all season. We’ve had plenty of success in the past with Dame Rose, Shantou Flyer and Chic Name and we have some nice progressive types this season.

“It'd be great to attract a few new owners and hopefully a Cheltenham Festival winner might help us do that.”

Chic Name is set for a second crack at the Glenfarclas Chase after belying odds of 100-1 to finish fifth in 2018 and Hobson thinks Jonathan Burke’s mount is overpriced – a best price 50-1 with bet365, Betfair Sportsbook and Paddy Power – and has each-way claims.

Hobson, who also hopes to run Who’s My Jockey in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, said: “Chic Name is a massive price. He has a good chance of reaching the frame as he brings plenty of course form and was just pipped for fourth in the race two years ago.

“He was nutted on the line at Musselburgh last time and is really fresh and well.”

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