Thyme Hill 'must have very strong chance' says Hobbs as Sporting John ruled out

Philip Hobbs was dealt a cruel blow on Friday when Sporting John, one of his Minehead outfit's diamonds, was ruled out of the Cheltenham Festival, but the trainer seemed to be growing in confidence when assessing the claims of Thyme Hill in Thursday's Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle.

Hobbs, who started training in 1985, has saddled 100-plus winners in 14 seasons and has long been a guest at jump racing's top table.

He has struck 20 times at the festival and landed two of the majors with Flagship Uberalles (2002 Champion Chase) and Rooster Booster (2003 Champion Hurdle).

His hopes of another Grand Slam triumph were dented when Sporting John suffered a setback that will preclude him from running in the Stayers' Hurdle, although stablemate Thyme Hill was a shorter price in the betting anyway.

Long held in the highest regard by the Somerset trainer, Thyme Hill, a 4-1 shot with Paddy Power, suffered an 11th hour setback that forced him out of the staying championship last year, but all is smooth with the eight-year-old, who runs in the colours of the England and Heywood families.

"Thyme Hill is very good," Hobbs said. "Everything has gone very well with him. He was second in the Long Walk at Ascot before Christmas and it was very much the plan to come straight here as he's not a horse who holds an enormous amount of condition. Therefore, to get him to Cheltenham in the best form, we thought it was best to not to run him again after Ascot.

"He ran a very good race there and we hope he can go onwards and upwards. He was a close fourth in the Albert Bartlett two years ago and was placed in the Champion Bumper the year before that.

"He's one of the favourites and must have a very strong chance."

The Stayers' Hurdle field took shape on Friday when it was whittled down to a maximum of 13 runners and they include leading fancies Flooring Porter, the 3-1 favourite who won the race last year, and Champ, who denied Thyme Hill in the Long Walk and is 5-1.

Paisley Park, who beat Champ in extraordinary fashion at Cheltenham in January and was the staying hurdling king in 2019, is also in contention, but Sporting John, who had been in the mix for the Pertemps on Thursday's card as well, is out.

Aintree is an option for Sporting John (centre)Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Hobbs, who trains the talented seven-year-old for leading owner JP McManus, added: "He's pulled a muscle, which will stop him going to Cheltenham. All being okay, he should be all right for Aintree next month.

"There are two races for him at Aintree, a three-mile handicap hurdle and a Grade 1 [over that trip]. They're both possibilities."

The Ryanair Chase also takes place on the same afternoon as the Stayers' Hurdle and Allaho remains in contention for a race he bolted up in 12 months ago, while Galopin Des Champs and Bob Olinger are the standout names in the Turners Novices' Chase.

Ballyandy, who runs in the Pertemps, might not hog as many headlines as that exciting pair, but he would provide Finn Lambert with a magic moment should he oblige.

The festival regular, who is trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies, won the Champion Bumper in 2016 before finishing fourth in the Supreme (2017) and third in the Coral Cup (2019).

He was eighth in Epatante's Champion Hurdle two years ago and is a first ride at the meeting for the 22-year-old conditional, who grew up in Middleham and had hoped of a career on the Flat.

Ballyandy: win would be memorable for his young rider Finn LambertCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Now 11, Ballyandy has won his last two under Lambert, who said: "I've got one winner left on my 10lb claim and now Nigel and my agent have said that I have to wait until Ballyandy on Thursday, so it would be even better to ride out my 10lb claim by completing the hat-trick on him.

"The owners [Options O Syndicate] said he owes us nothing and if he doesn't do it over this trip, he can have a happy retirement as he has been a great servant.

"We went to Fakenham last month bearing that in mind, but what he did there took me by surprise as well as everyone else.

"I didn't realise quite how far he won by at Fakenham and that was unbelievable.

"The one race for him at Cheltenham was the Pertemps. He got into the last qualifier at Chepstow and we thought if he qualifies brilliant and we can have a great day out at Cheltenham, but he ended up winning well again.

"I thought Fakenham was my day in the sun with him, but he has continued his rejuvenation."

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