Johnson White feels it will take ‘a good one’ to beat Sober Glory in the Listed CopyBet Novices’ Hurdle at Exeter’s Super Sunday fixture this weekend.
The son of Mount Nelson will bid to bag his most notable success over hurdles in the £45,000 feature, which is one of two Listed races on the seven-race card at the Devon track.
After making a winning return at Chepstow in November the six-year-old, who White trains in partnership with Philip Hobbs, then suffered an odds-on reversal in the Betfair Exchange Claremont Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown Park the following month.
However, the Brocade Racing-owned gelding, who holds an entry in the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, showed his well-being when routing his rivals back down in class last month at Newbury.
And following that victory it has left connections confident that Sober Glory can show his class in Sunday’s extended two-mile contest to set up a tilt at graded race company in the spring.
White said: “He does have an entry at Newbury, but Exeter is the plan. After his defeat at Sandown Park, I was delighted to see him come back and win at Newbury as it means we can safely put a line through that run at Sandown Park.
“I’m not sure what it was, whether it was the track or ground, but he is back on song, and we are delighted with him.
“We did lots of blood tests and scopes after Sandown Park, but we never found anything. In the past we have had a lot of horses go to Sandown Park and they haven’t performed. I think it is a specialist track, and it would appear Sober Glory is not one of them.
“Every race he competes in is important, but he needs to go to Exeter and run well to warrant going for those bigger targets in the spring.
“During the summer we were thinking he would be a two and a half mile horse, but Micheal Nolan (jockey) said two miles is his job as travels strongly and has got the gears for that trip. We will stick to two miles at the moment, and it will take a good one to beat him here.”
Hobbs and Johnson could also be represented in the other Listed contest on the card, the £40,000 CopyBet Agatha Christie Mares’ Novices Chase, with Georgi Girl, who after a couple of below par efforts finished a close up fourth at Windsor last time out.
He added: “She is in good form and ran a positive race last time. She schooled on Saturday and appeared in good order. It was great to get her back on an even keel at Windsor, and she has come out of that race well.
“She does have an entry at Sandown Park on Friday, but it would be nice if she could get some black type here.
Before both Georgi Girl and Sober Glory take to the track the Minehead-based training duo could saddle recent Ffos Las scorer Bobby’s Nelson in the opening CopyBet EBF ‘National Hunt’ Novices Hurdle.
He added: “I think the extended two and a quarter miles around a stiff track like Exeter will suit him. I was delighted to get a win with him last time out and he is ready to go again.
“The horses that had beaten him in his two other starts over hurdles were nice horses and it was nice to find the right opportunity to win one and he will be winning again. The step up in trip to two and a half miles helped him last time, but equally I think slower ground on a stiff track like Exeter is something he should cope with fine. The EBF Final is what I have earmarked for him, but between now and then things need to go right.”
And in the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle, which is the latest qualifier for the final of the series staged at the Cheltenham Festival, the pair have entered French Ship, who was seventh in the Coral Lanzarote Handicap Hurdle on his last start, and stablemate Keable.
White added: “Keable schooled well on Monday and I was happy enough with his run at Windsor last time. He would relish those conditions around Exeter. Hopefully, we can eek out another pound or two out of him. It’s not been decided if French Ship comes here or not. The ground was just a bit quick for him in the Lanzarote.
"It wasn’t as good as his previous two runs, but he doesn’t seem to have had any negative effects on him.
“I think after the Lanzarote we felt that more of a test of stamina was required for him. He is not short of stamina so if he does run, I think the two miles and seven furlongs trip here will suit him well.”
More from Sporting Life
- Racecards
- Fast results
- Full results and free video replays
- Horse racing news
- Horse racing tips
- Horse racing features
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Football and other sports tips
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.