Racing: Refreshed Flagship leads Hobbs team to Cheltenham

In 1985, as they embarked on their training career, Philip and Sarah Hobbs resolved that the future would be in the papers. Either they would be featuring gloriously in the trade organs, which then included a publication called The Sporting Life, or, after three years, they would seek alternative employment. That second ambition was no loftier than managing a newsagent's shop in Minehead.

The early morning starts though continue to be down the road at Sandhill House, just outside the Somerset village of Bilbrook. Yesterday Hobbs threw open his stable doors to reveal a squad of around 20 horses which he expects to saddle at the Cheltenham Festival next week. It was worth paying attention.

Twelve months ago, the trainer conducted a similar exercise for Her Majesty's press at the base of the Quantock hills. Those who were not too busy gazing across Blue Anchor Bay to the greyness of the Bristol Channel would have noted that both Flagship Uberalles and Rooster Booster were among those on parade. Both went on to Cheltenham success – taking Hobbs's tally to five at the meeting – in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and County Hurdle respectively, but the similarities have not been so obvious this season.

The Flagship was purchased in mid-campaign by JP McManus with a one-race agenda, an attempt on retaining his title. Yet it has been a tilted crown for the nine-year-old this winter. He was almost rolling on the ground in his comeback in the Tingle Creek at Sandown and was subsequently pulled up in the King George on Boxing Day. On that form, whatever McManus paid was too much.

Still, hope is the last victim in a racing yard and there remains home proof that Flagship Uberalles could still get it all back. "There was a bigger experiment in the King George than the three miles," Hobbs said. "If you look at his form, he never runs well if he reappears quickly. To run him in the King George was a wing and prayer job anyway. The main reason he did disappoint is he won't run two good races close together. He nearly fell in the Tingle Creek and then went for the King George. He has had a good long break and hopefully will go there fresh to produce his best.

"The race looks very strong this year but he is in good form and I'm very happy with him."

Rooster Booster's credentials are a little more obvious. He has graduated from handicaps to become one of the leading conditions hurdlers in the land. If they bolted the gates at Jonjo O'Neill's Jackdaws Castle and locked Rhinestone Cowboy and Intersky Falcon inside, then the grey would be favourite for the Champion Hurdle.

"Rooster Booster has had a terrific season and his owner [Terry Warner] said to me yesterday that if the horse gets beat in the Champion then so be it because we have had a fantastic time anyway," Hobbs added.

"He has a good attitude about him and his preparation has gone well. The likely ground is not in his favour – he will manage, but he'd cope with softer ground better than all of them.

"The ones who would be suited by at least good to soft are him, Flagship Uberalles and One Knight in the Royal & SunAlliance Chase. Faster ground would help others, In Contrast [another Champion Hurdle aspirant], Spectrometer in the Coral Cup and Brother Joe in the Stayers' Hurdle. So whichever way the ground goes, it's not going to suit all our horses."

The ground at Prestbury Park is good, with good to firm patches, and with little rain forecast, conditions are turning in favour of fast-ground horses.

Just as almost 20 years ago, when he began his journey, Philip Hobbs is not getting carried away by any fancy ideas. "If someone said to me now that we could have one winner at the Festival, then I'd be happy," he said. "I know we had two winners last year, but it's difficult to think you can have a winner at all because it's so competitive."

* Previous Festival winners Earthmover, Dorans Pride and Last Option are among 41 entries for the Foxhunter Chase on Thursday week. Earthmover took the 1998 hunter chase championship, a race won by Last Option last year. If Michael Hourigan's 14-year-old Dorans Pride runs it would be the 1995 Stayers' Hurdle winner's seventh appearance at the meeting.