Supreme Prince clears the last. (Getty Images)

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Philip Hobbs reached a century of winners in a season for the fifth time with another big-race success at Newbury on Saturday as Supreme Prince shrugged aside worries over his jumping to take the £100,000 Vodafone Gold Cup.

Paul Flynn always had the 7-1 chance up with the leaders before pushing him into a clear advantage at the third-last fence.

Once in front Supreme Prince was never doing much despite his rider's urgings and allowed 25-1 shot Horus to get to within half a length at the winning post.

But Flynn said after the race that he felt his mount had more in the tank if it was required.

Chauvinist was another two lengths away in third, looking again as if he would benefit from a step up to three miles.

Having taken the Aon Chase here three weeks ago with Farmer Jack and followed up with him in the Racing Post Chase seven days later, this was Hobbs' third major Saturday prize in quick succession.

But in contrast to so many of his colleagues, the Cheltenham Festival later this month is not the be-all and end-all for his team.

Bookmakers predictably cut Supreme Prince's price for the Mildmay Of Flete Chase (Ladbrokes and totesport longest at 14-1), but Hobbs was playing it cool.

"I suppose we might be tempted to run him there before the handicapper can reassess him," he said.

"We'll keep Farmer Jack in the Daily Telegraph Trophy there too, but I would have thought he is more likely to wait for Aintree.

"In fact, they have something in common in that they would both prefer a flatter track than Cheltenham."

Connections held high hopes for Supreme Prince a few seasons back, but until today the former smart novice hurdler and chaser had never quite been able to deliver on the big occasion.

"We thought he was a very good horse a couple of years ago but I suppose he has never really hit the heights we thought he might," Hobbs went on.

"He won a bumper as a four-year-old, then we put him away for a year because he was always going to need plenty of time.

"His owners, David and Karola Vann, have had to be very patient with him, but they are really great supporters of mine and they have been very loyal."

The Vanns have shown support in equal amounts for jockey Paul Flynn, putting the rider - who is so often overshadowed by Hobbs' number one Richard Johnson - up on as many of their runners as possible.

And as he received his trophy Flynn thanked David Vann for some steadying words of encouragement before the start.

"We had been slightly worried about tactics beforehand, but David Vann told me to get out and get on with it and stop getting stressed," smiled the rider.

"He jumped well and he travelled well, although I wouldn't have wanted them to have gone much quicker. He likes to do it on the bridle and if you have to take him off it early on, he wouldn't be the happiest horse.

"Things have gone his way today and he was very good."