Polytrack a big boost for Rooster
Rooster Booster’s elevation since his success in the County Hurdle at the 2002 Festival has seen him capture a string of important trials, but Hobbs believes this may not have been possible without the assistance of the new gallop.
Assessing the grey’s prospects of lifting the hurdling crown next Tuesday, Hobbs said: “Obviously the title has been up for grabs since Istabraq bowed out and I feel it’s been wide open this season.
“The key factor for Rooster Booster is the confidence he derived after getting his head in front in the County Hurdle last year.
“I feel he improved all through last season but also went up in the weights without winning and that success seems to have made a huge difference.
“I‘d also point to the effect working on our short Polytrack gallop has made. Rooster does his work on that or on the grass and he loves it. It’s just two and three quarter furlongs in length and on the collar but it’s worth its weight in gold.”
In Contrast will join Rooster Booster in the Champion line-up and will go to post as a live outsider having delighted Hobbs when finishing fourth to Spirit Leader in the Tote Gold Trophy at Newbury.
Hobbs continued: “Richard Johnson will ride Rooster Booster but at this stage I’m unsure who will be on In Contrast. He was a cracking novice last season and I think he’s got some improvement in him.”
Hobbs is mindful that Rhinestone Cowboy will be hard to beat and added: “He’s very difficult to assess.
“He’s won very easily against novices while we are the highest rated and it’s a fascinating picture going into the race. What we don‘t want is fast ground as that would play heavily against us.”
Flagship Uberalles provided Hobbs with his most prestigious training success when landing last year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase and has since been purchased by J P McManus. Things have not gone well for ‘Flagship’ this season as his chance in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown was ruined by a bad mistake, while he was never happy when tackling three miles for the first time in the King George VI Chase at Kempton.
That race contest was the gelding’s latest outing and was an additional port of call for Flagship Uberalles, who had been expected to only have one run before defending his two-mile crown.
Hobbs said: “For Flagship Uberalles, this season has been a non-event.
“He virtually fell in the Tingle Creek, which ruined his chance, and going for the King George was a bit of a wing and a prayer. There was nothing to lose going to Kempton and I still wouldn’t entirely rule out running him over three miles again.
“Most importantly, he’s had a good, long break and will go to Cheltenham fresh. Ideally we want good to soft ground.”
Hobbs will have a maximum of 18 horses to run at the Festival in a season which looks like being his best. He has already passed the century mark and has plenty of time to top his 1999-2000 record of 120 successes.
Of his other candidates he is especially keen on Andy Gin, whom he regards as a live outsider for the Triumph Hurdle and added: “Andy Gin is very much our dark horse for the meeting having won three races in France and then won easily on his debut for me at Exeter, the form of which has worked out.
“On the ratings he has a good chance and while I’d like to have got another outing under his belt, he jumps and stays well and must have an outside chance.”
One of the enigmas in the Hobbs stable is Brother Joe, who has the ability to play a big part in the Stayers’ Hurdle but is not the most consistent performer and really wants fast ground to be seen at his best. “I think Brother Joe has serious place prospects, although Baracouda will obviously take a lot of beating,” said Hobbs. “Brother Joe didn‘t get the best of runs when third in the Ebor and is a horse with serious ability.”
Double Honour lost his unbeaten record over hurdles last time out but Hobbs believes he can bounce back and the trainer is not averse to letting his charge move into the handicap division for a tilt at the Coral Cup, in which he is set to carry 10st 6lbs.
“I don’t know why he was beaten last time but I’m tempted by the Coral race and we could also run Spectrometer in that, although if it was soft he would go for the County Hurdle,” explained the trainer.
One Knight holds strong claims for the Royal & SunAlliance Novices’ Chase having won all but one of his four starts over fences and Hobbs added: “The Sun Alliance is always a bit of a lottery, but this horse jumps well and has won his last two starts at Exeter very easily. If the ground is on the easy side he must have a realistic chance.”
Supreme Prince is set to be the Hobbs representative in the Royal & SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle, the gelding having run up an unbeaten sequence of four.
While conceding that Supreme Prince is one of the best prospects he has ever had, Hobbs is wary that his charge lacks experience and said: “He’s still backward and if the ground is quick he won’t run.
“He made hard work of winning at Wincanton last time out and was very green. I hope it taught him something.”
A final Hobbs outsider to conjure with is Widemouth Bay in the Champion Bumper, the trainer concluding that he had a lot to do when dead-heating on his latest start which was run in near darkness.
