Philip Hobbs

DOB: July 26, 1955

Now firmly established among Britain’s leading jump trainers, Philip Hobbs first took out a training licence with only nine horses. His first runner, North Yard at Exeter in August, 1985, was a winner and there has been no looking back.

He is based at Sandhill near Minehead, Somerset. He tasted big-race success as early as 1986/87 when Bonanza Boy was one of the season's top novice hurdlers. Putting behind him the disappointment of losing that horse to Martin Pipe, he has gone on to take other important prizes with horses such as Joint Sovereignty (1989 Paddy Power Gold Cup), Moody Man (1990 Imperial Cup and County Hurdle), Dreams End (1994 Swinton Hurdle), Dr Leunt (1999 Racing Post Chase), What's Up Boys (2001 Hennessy Gold Cup, 2nd 2002 Grand National), Flagship Uberalles (2001 Tingle Creek Chase and 2002 Queen Mother Champion Chase), Gunther McBride (2002 Racing Post Chase), Rooster Booster (2003 Champion Hurdle), One Knight (2003 Royal & Sun Alliance Chase), Monkerhostin (2004 Coral Cup, 2004 Boylesports.com Gold Cup, 2008 bet365 Gold Cup) and Detroit City (2006 JCB Triumph Hurdle, 2006 John Smith’s Anniversary 4YO Hurdle, 2006 Boylesports.com International).

His success is even more apparent in numerical terms. He reached a century for the first time in the 1999/2000 campaign, eventually finishing with 120 wins and has regularly topped the century ever since.

Cheltenham Festival wins (11):

Vincent O’Brien County: 1990 Moody Man, 2002 Rooster Booster

Johnny Henderson Grand Annual: 1996 Kibreet

Coral Cup: 2000 What’s Up Boys, 2004 Monkerhostin

Seasons Holidays Queen Mother: 2002 Flagship Uberalles

Smurfit Kappa Champion: 2003 Rooster Booster

RSA Chase: 2003 One Knight

JCB Triumph: 2004 Made In Japan, 2006 Detroit City

Neptune: 2007 Massini’s Maguire