Philip Hobbs says he will get the Betfair Hurdle out of the way first with War Sound

Philip Hobbs has played down some of the attention in his Betfair Hurdle contender War Sound, while at the same time admitting that he has high hopes for the lightly-raced seven-year-old.

The trainer, who is enjoying "probably my best ever" season at present, with an impressive 25-per-cent winners-to-runners strike-rate, has entered War Sound in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival and recent support has seen him cut by Sky Bet to just 6/1 joint-favourite with Modus for the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday week despite being off the track since winning the Swinton Hurdle at Haydock last May.

He's also 33/1 in Sky Bet's non-runner no-bet market for the Champion Hurdle, but speaking to At The Races on Monday evening, Hobbs was giving mixed messages about his expectations for the horse.

"If he was to run in the Betfair Hurdle next week and win very well, then maybe he should go and take his place in the Champion Hurdle, but because he's entered people assume he might be a runner [in the Champion]," he said.

"The problem is [that it's] difficult enough trying to go from one race to the next but when you have to try and anticipate what might happen in the race after, you have to make these entries accordingly.

"He's rated 148. He's only had five races in his life but we all have to think about what might happen with these races where the entries close early."

Explaining War Sound's unusual profile, Hobbs said: "He was going to run in a point-to-point in Ireland in 2014 but he had a minor hiccup which stopped him running. So he came here as an unraced youngster in the autumn of 2014 and he didn't see a racecourse until the spring of last year.

"He's a big strong horse, who jumps very well, and there's no reason he shouldn't make a nice chaser. Brian Murphy, who has horses for me in Ireland, thought he was a potential three-mile chaser but I think he's quite a good two-mile hurdler!"

Asked whether conditional Ciaran Gethings, who has been on board for all three of War Sound's victories would be likely to maintain his association with the horse all the way to Cheltenham, Hobbs replied: "I think we'd cross those bridges when we come to them. That has to be discussed with the owners and everything after he has run again.

"It's a very difficult one because obviously Ciaran Gethings wouldn't be able to claim his allowance in the Champion Hurdle if he was to get there... which is probably unlikely, so we're probably all talking rubbish!"

Hobbs also had news on some of his other stable stars, including staying chaser Sausalito Sunrise, who will have "a serious gallop" on Tuesday morning having enjoyed a winter break.

"He's in really good form but he does not want the ground too soft," said Hobbs. "We're just beginning to wind things up again. His first option to run would be at Ascot on February 20. He will have an entry in the Betbright Handicap Chase at Kempton the following week. That's the other option. He will also have an entry in the Eider Chase in case the ground is good up there so hopefully he will run somewhere by the end of February if the ground isn't too soft."

The trainer also made it clear that he is yet to make up his mind whether Garde La Victoire should run in either the Arkle Chase or the JLT at the Cheltenham Festival.

"It will depend upon ground and opposition at the time," he said. "You shouldn't run away from one horse. A horse can disappoint, he can fall, and second place in the Arkle is worth a fortune. But, you know, if it's him [Douvan] and a couple of others to worry about then maybe the JLT might be better."

Hobbs also said that Village Vic wouldn't run again before Cheltenham, and could go for either a handicap or the Ryanair Chase, and that Sternrubin could still return to novice company in the Sky Bet Supreme if he runs well in the Betfair Hurdle. Fingal Vic's next start is set to come in a graduation chase at Exeter on Sunday week, after which the Betbright Chase or Haydock's Grand National Trial could be on the cards.