Thyme Hill slashed for Stayers' Hurdle after cosy Long Distance success

Philip Hobbs has been training since 1985 and has never had an authentic challenger for the staying hurdling division – until now.

Thyme Hill advanced his claims for top honours in that field with a clear-cut success in the Ladbrokes Long Distance Hurdle, in which he beat last year's winner Paisley Park by a length and a half.

His trainer believes Thyme Hill warrants inclusion in the Stayers' Hurdle conversation and the race's sponsor Paddy Power agree, trimming him to 5-1 joint-favourite (from 12) with Paisley Park, who suffered from an irregular heartbeat in the contest last year.

The 2019 Stayers' Hurdle winner lost little in defeat on his first start of the season and is vying for festival favouritism with plenty of bookmakers after finishing five lengths ahead of McFabulous.

Richard Johnson (white cap) steering Thyme Hill to victoryCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Owned by the Englands and Heywoods, Thyme Hill was third in the 2019 Champion Bumper, won by Envoi Allen, before developing into a talented novice hurdler, winning the Challow Hurdle and finishing fourth in the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

He has now developed into a smart senior hurdler, prevailing from some hot opposition that included last season's unheralded Stayers' Hurdle winner Lisnagar Oscar and new kid on the block McFabulous.

"I'm delighted," said Hobbs. "It was only his fifth race over hurdles and he ought to improve further.

"You wouldn't want to come to a race like this half-cooked, so he was pretty fit today, but I hope a run will put him right as well. Most of ours have come on for the first races this autumn. He's a lovely horse and everything had gone well in his preparation.

"He schooled well over fences when the season finished but we hoped he'd be good enough to run in this division. If he flopped it would have been disastrous as it would have been too late to go novice chasing."

Thankfully, for Hobbs, there was no disaster as the six-year-old moved powerfully under long-time stable jockey Richard Johnson before staying on strongly.

The Somerset trainer has minded the son of Kayf Tara, who was making just his eighth start, but that trademark patience is paying off and he resembles something close to the finished article.

"He's not the sort of horse who holds condition too well, but he's got better as he's got older, so hopefully we can have a busier season, but there aren't that many options. He could go for the Long Walk Hurdle or the Cleeve before going to the festival. Then hopefully he can go to Aintree or Punchestown," Hobbs added.

"He's definitely the best we've had in this division. I've never had a horse who was even likely for a Stayers' Hurdle. He's very good."

Paisley Park, whose reputation was far from dented, is also very good and was conceding a 3lb penalty when second to Thyme Hill.

"It turned into a sprint and I was delighted with him," said jockey Aidan Coleman. "He's run a good race and I couldn't be happier.

"We only raced for just over a mile – we dawdled – but in a way that's no harm as it was a nice comeback. It was a step in the right direction after what happened at Cheltenham. We were chasing the winner down and I look forward to meeting him on level terms."

It is safe to say Coleman is not the only one looking forward to that.

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