Philip Hobbs backs Thyme Hill to improve again over hurdles next season

Thyme Hill may have impressed with his schooling over fences but Philip Hobbs will keep him over hurdles next season with the expectation that plenty more is to come from Saturday's Grade 1 winner.

The seven-year-old powered home to deny Roksana in a thrilling conclusion to the Ryanair Stayers Hurdle, recording his first top-level triumph out of novice company.

That success means he remains the joint second highest-rated hurdler in Britain, 1lb behind the 163-rated Paisley Park.

Thyme Hill will stay over the smaller obstacles next season, with Hobbs to delay a potential chasing campaign even though the seven-year-old's jumping has been promising at Hobbs's Somerset base.

He is currently the general 5-1 joint-favourite with reigning champion Flooring Porter for next season's Stayers' Hurdle.

Hobbs said: "While he's doing so well in the three-mile hurdling division I think that's where we'll stay. He's schooled really well over fences but he'll have a good chance in all those Grade 1 staying hurdles next season and so we should stick to them."

"On ratings he deserved to win but I thought he ran to his very best at Aintree. It was a great performance. What's great with him is that he's still a relatively young horse who could well improve next season."

Paisley Park disappointed when pulled-up behind Thyme Hill at Aintree and his trainer Emma Lavelle believes his Cheltenham run three weeks earlier may have left him flat.

After disappointing when 4-6 favourite in 2020, Paisley Park was diagnosed with a fibrillating heart but that is no longer an issue for the nine-year-old who won his third Grade 1 earlier this season.

"He’s absolutely fine, his heart was good and we scoped him afterwards and there was no blood or mucus or anything like that. I think he was just flat," Lavelle said, speaking at Cheltenham.

“He was off the bridle [in the Stayers’ Hurdle] for a mile and a half and ran them down to five lengths and I think he was just flat, although he seemed fresh at home."

Paisley Park: fine after disappointing Aintree effortCredit: Edward Whitaker

Paisley Park will be given a similar campaign next season, starting with Newbury's Grade 2 Long Distance Hurdle on November 26.

She added: “He’s a horse of a lifetime and we’ll give him a nice summer’s break and bring him back. It’s a very straightforward route for him.”

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