Thyme Hill is on course to return to action in the Ryanair Stayers’ Hurdle at next week’s Randox Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse.
Trainer Philip Hobbs says the seven-year-old is on the mend after a slight injury ruled him out of last month’s Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Thyme Hill won the Grade Two Long Distance Hurdle at Newbury in November, but was beaten into second by Paisley Park in the Long Walk Hurdle before Christmas.
He has been off the track since but his Minehead-based handler says he is course to line-up in next Saturday's three-mile Grade One contest, formerly known as the Liverpool Hurdle, and most likely resume his rivalry with Paisley Park.
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Hobbs said: “The Liverpool Hurdle is still very much the plan for Thyme Hill. He pulled a muscle on his right-hand side behind the saddle which meant he had to miss Cheltenham.
“He had a fairly easy week after that but we have had plenty of time to build him back up and get him ready for Aintree.
“His last run in the Long Walk was good. It was a top end race as you would expect. Obviously he was just beaten by Paisley Park who has run well in the Stayers’ Hurdle since and he beat the nice filly of Dan Skelton’s (Roksana).
“This was not the original plan (coming straight here) and I definitely think on his best form he would have been up there at Cheltenham.
“It rather depends what turns up at Aintree, so whether coming here without the run there is a good thing I don’t know but hopefully it will be.”
