Thyme Hill battles to victory in the Betway Challow Novices' Hurdle
Thyme Hill overcame a mistake at the last to win the Betway Challow Novices' Hurdle at Newbury.
Philip Hobbs' charge was stretching his unbeaten run over timber to three in the Grade One contest but the 4/6 favourite raced lazily at the rear of the field.
He was pushed up to challenge leader The Cashel Man two out but was clumsy having headed that rival at the final flight, allowing his rival another chance.
However, despite hanging left, Richard Johnson's mount was always doing enough and went on to win by a length-and-a-half.
Sky Bet cut the winner to 6/1 fro 8s for the Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival. Head of Sports PR Michael Shinners said: "It was hard work but Thyme Hill again got the job done and he looks the pick of the staying British novice hurdlers at this stage."
Hobbs is now favouring heading straight to the Cheltenham Festival in March with Thyme Hill, although the ground is likely to prove crucial in deciding whether to tackle the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle or the three-mile Albert Bartlett.
He said: "He stays well. He (Johnson) said he dossed a bit when he got to the front. No (his jumping wasn't as good) and that's what concerned me a bit, but he said he was just dossing in behind the others. He has pulled him wide coming into the straight and he was slap bang on the bridle, but then he has dossed in front as well.
"I think it will be ground dependant (at Cheltenham). If it is soft ground he will go two-miles-five, but if it was goodish ground he would probably go three miles. He has done everything fantastically well and, as you can see, he is not the biggest horse in the world, but that has not stopped him still being very good.
"Last time we stood here after the Challow Hurdle when Fingal Bay won it (in 2011), we said he was the best horse we had and he duly flopped. I'd probably see how he is, but my first reaction is we would go straight to Cheltenham as he is not the sort of horse that wants to be running every week.
"Last year he got stronger through the season as he was not sticking the racing very well, although he won his first race at Worcester and was second in a Listed race at Cheltenham before being third at the Festival."
Nicky Henderson is also planning to head to Cheltenham with The Cashel Man, with the Albert Bartlett on his radar along with a handicap option.
He said: "He ran a great race as I thought he would actually hate the ground. He ran a blinding race and fought back well.
"He definitely wants better ground and we might step him up to three miles as he got two-miles-five on the Flat.
"We might try to get him qualified for the Pertemps, but the handicapper might not let us, so we might have to go down the Albert Bartlett route."