Gower-Slave can keep Hobbs in festive mood

13 April 2012

With a December as good as this, Philip Hobbs doesn't need Christmas. On the first of the month, Whats Up Boys won him the Hennessy Gold Cup. Seven days later, Flagship Uberalles took the Tingle Creek. Tomorrow, Gower-Slave can make it three big wins in as many Saturdays in Cheltenham's Tripleprint Gold Cup.

After 16 years of sheer hard work, this Somerset trainer has finally got the horses he deserves.

Hobbs broke through the 100-winner barrier two seasons ago and is already 81 per cent of the way there this term. But now he boasts quality to match quantity. Only Martin Pipe and Paul Nicholls - same county, same ambitions - lead him in this season's trainers' championship.

Yet Sandhill Stables resident, Gower-Slave, is still available at 20-1 with Coral for tomorrow's feature £100,000 event.

Fancied rivals have been backed past the point of value ante-post, but this nine- year- old has been underestimated.

Hobbs confesses to bafflement over Gower-Slave's ideal trip. He's won ranging from 2m4f at a sharp track like Ludlow to 3m 2f at Cartmel and Warwick.

Yet his stamina patently gave out two fences from home in the 3m 3f Becher Chase over Aintree's Grand National fences last month.

It had been the logical step after jumping those formidable fences so adroitly when winning the John Hughes Trophy there in April.

On his return visit, bold fencing and trademark fighting spirit, regaining the lead when headed, were again on display.

But he's always shown his best form shy of three miles, his successes over further limited to early in his career against inferior rivals. This 2m 5f trip over Cheltenham's testing course of tricky fences looks tailor-made for Gower-Slave.

Several lines of collateral form through Behrajan, Bindaree and Somemanforoneman (a rival here and held) give him the edge on Logician, Dusk Duel and Banker Account at these weights. They also put him within spitting distance of Shooting Light and Foly Pleasant.

These are five of the six market leaders.

Ilnamar is the exception. He's already difficult to assess, without the habitual confusion over which Pipetrained entry champion jockey Tony McCoy will ride. Dark Stranger, Royal Predica and Iris Bleu all run instead at Cheltenham today. We can surely discount Cadougold.

Tony Dobbin rides Upgrade, who's only 2lb higher than his best winning mark. But, with top-weight Legal Right absent, his role may lie in containing his stablemates' weights.

Shooting Light is the obvious candidate for McCoy and may maintain his superiority over the Henrietta Knight-trained Foly Pleasant, despite looking vulnerable at 7lb worse off.

His three-length Thomas Pink Gold Cup success came pretty easily and the runnerup would prefer softer ground.

But Ilnamar has some smart French form and caught the eye when nursed round Newbury earlier this month. More rain might have helped his cause.

The only way is up for Banker Count now last term's jumping problems are behind him. Cheltenham will test that, but he's the main threat to the selection. Aussie import Logician can land a good handicap and may be better suited to this trip than useful Dusk Duel, although they are closely matched.

Selections
1 Gower-Slave (nap)
2 Banker Count
3 Logician

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