Thyme Hill emergence timely for Hobbs as he plots Cheltenham target for star

The curse of the Challow was not going to catch Philip Hobbs out again after Thyme Hill confirmed his status as one of Britain's leading novice hurdlers.

His victory in a race won in the past by the likes of Denman was not wildly impressive, but it came with an authority to suggest the son of Kayf Tara will be a player come the Cheltenham Festival in March.

What race he contests in the spring is up for debate with the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle the preferred route on easy ground, while the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle would come into the equation if conditions are quicker.

Thyme Hill is as short as 7-1 for the former and 6-1 (from 8) for the latter with Betfair Sportsbook and Paddy Power.

Watch Thyme Hill's victory here

Hobbs is in no rush to decide, though, and thinks plenty of the progressive five-year-old, but was not going to let the ghosts of Challows past come back to haunt him.

"He's done everything fantastically well," said the Somerset ace, who won the £45,000 prize with Bonanza Boy in 1986 and Fingal Bay eight years ago.

"He's not the biggest horse in the world but that's not going to stop him being very good and he's done extremely well. Last time I stood in here after the Challow was when Fingal Bay won it and I said he was the best horse I'd ever had and he duly flopped, so I think it's better not to say these things!"

Far from keeping quiet, Hobbs spoke positively about his return to the big time, two campaigns after his seasonal tally of winners dipped to a 25-year low of 63.

Class, however, is permanent and Hobbs is fortified once more, housing breakthrough two-mile star Defi Du Seuil at his prominent Minehead operation.

Thyme Hill (left): makes it three from three over hurdles for Philip HobbsCredit: Alan Crowhurst

"It's fantastic to have horses to win Grade 1 races, but it's a matter of having the right ones," Hobbs added. "I always think the main thing is to win plenty of races. That's number one and hopefully you'll end up with good horses as well, but ideally you want both.

"It [the quiet spell] happened to us before, although that was probably more to the front with us having a moderate season, but if your horses aren't 100 per cent healthy you have to wait and put in place everything you can – that's all you can do.

"It's fantastic how things are going and to have Grade 1 horses is a big plus."

Thyme Hill, whose success came in front of a decent festive crowd verging on 10,000, was ridden by Richard Johnson, whose partnership with Hobbs is among the sport's most enduring.

The champion jockey, in treble-winning form on Newbury's card, said: "You buy lots of nice horses and there are very few who are actually Grade 1 horses, so it's lovely to have at least two in the yard now and hopefully more to come."

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