Hobbs prefers Tingle target for Monkerhostin
The Minehead trainer is favouring a return to two miles for the consistent gelding rather than the Robin Cook Memorial Gold Cup over an extra five furlongs at Cheltenham seven days later.
Monkerhostin, a 5-1 chance with Hills, has shown himself to be a versatile and hardy performer this season.
He defeated Kauto Starv in the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter before finishing second in the Paddy Power Gold Cup and the totesport Peterborough Chase.
Hobbs reports Richard Johnson’s mount to be in fine fettle and sees no problem with a return to the minimum distance.
“He won well over two miles and a furlong at Exeter and although I’ve been looking at the Robin Cook Chase, I would have thought the Tingle Creek looks favourite at this stage,” said Hobbs.
Locksmith, generally available at 25-1, warmed up for Saturday’s big race by working on Martin Pipe’s gallops yesterday morning.
At the age of five, the grey is the joint youngest entry along with Kauto Star.
“I saw Locksmith working on the gallop this morning under his regular work jockey, Robert Quinn,” Pipe’s assistant Chester Barnes told www.martinpipe.co.uk.
“Locksmith will run in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown at the weekend and it looks a good race with Ashley Brook, who will probably take them along at a good gallop.
“Locksmith is still only five years old and he could still have improvement to come.
“The key to races at Sandown are the railway fences and if you meet the first one on a good stride you seem to meet the others okay.”
Locksmith, owned by David Johnson, won in successive days at Ayr in April and was last seen finishing eighth of nine runners behind his sidelined stable companion Well Chief in the Betfred Celebration Chase over Saturday’s course and distance later that month.
Kauto Star has been trimmed to 7-4 favourite from 2-1 with the sponsors for the Sandown feature.
The Haldon Gold Cup runner-up, the mount of Mick Fitzgerald, is one of four Paul Nicholls-trained entries in the Grade One two-mile feature.
Bookmakers also reported support for one of his stable companions, Sporazene, with Coral cutting the grey’s odds to 6-1 from 10-1 following decent support.
As well as money for Kauto Star, Hills reported interest in Oneway and clipped Mark Rimell’s charge from 9-1 to 7-1.
Meanwhile, Colonel Frank will be out of action until the spring after being laid low with an old leg injury.
The eight-year-old star of Brendan Powell’s yard suffered the recurrence of a hock problem while being trained for a charity contest at Plumpton in mid-October.
“I was just getting him ready for a charity race when he had a problem with his hock,” said the Winchester trainer. “It’s the same leg he injured in the Racing Post Chase last season. He just got a bit of infection in it.
“He’s still very much on the easy list but, touch wood, he seems to be fine again and hopefully we can look at starting work again with him before too long.
“At this time of the season the ground is probably not right for him anyway so if everything goes to plan he will most likely start off at the beginning of March.
“We will look at the Punchestown Festival in late April or maybe the Betfred Gold Cup at Sandown for him.”
