Philip Hobbs was pleased to see Sober Glory bounce back from a first career defeat with an emphatic victory at Newbury.
A £110,00 purchase after winning an Irish point-to-point a couple of years ago, the six-year-old was victorious in his first four starts under rules before disappointing as an odds-on favourite for a Listed contest at Sandown last month.
Dropping back down in grade for division one of the BOYLE Sports Home Of Early Payout Novices’ Hurdle, Sober Glory was a prohibitively priced 2-13 favourite for the training partnership of Philip Hobbs and Johnson White and stamped his class with a 13-length success in the hands of Ben Jones.
Hobbs told Sky Sports Racing: “We all thought he was very good until Sandown and there’s been no reason for that blip, but I suppose they can all have an off day – they’re not machines.
“I always felt he’s more of a stayer really, although we’ve been running over two miles, but Ben feels two miles is maybe his right thing because he’s got so much pace.”
When asked whether he feels Sober Glory is a potential Cheltenham Festival contender, the trainer added: “Quite possibly, but I think we might see what happens at Exeter (Listed novice hurdle on February 8) and go from there.”
Nicky Henderson unleashed a promising recruit in division two, with dashing grey Fire Warning – a rare Seven Barrows runner for prominent owners Rich and Susannah Ricci – making every yard of the running on his British debut to land odds of 8-11 under James Bowen.
“That’s a nice start for a nice horse. He’s got a great temperament and he’s enjoyed everything,” said Henderson.
“He’s got a future in front of him and when he jumps a fence he’ll probably be a better horse still.
“He’ll certainly run again (before Cheltenham) and we’ll see.”
Another horse who could have Cheltenham Festival ambitions is the Jane Williams-trained Matiwo (15-8), who bolted up by seven lengths in the BOYLE Sports Best Odds Guaranteed EBF Junior ‘National Hunt’ Hurdle, with Ciaran Gethings doing the steering.
Williams said: “He’s very cocky and he always wants to do everything his way. Ciaran said he tried to get rid of him going down to the start.
“The Cheltenham fall last time was unexpected really because he’s a really good jumper. We haven’t done much schooling (since), but we put a bit of extra kit on him today and he was free.
“With the frost one or two of my horses have needed a gallop and I was a bit worried about him being fit enough, but he’s a good horse.
“He’s the best of all of them (our horses). It would be nice to take him to something big, I think he’s the best of the English ones (juveniles) and I’d like to go to Cheltenham if I could.”