Jockey Tom O'Brien is quietly confident about Thyme Hill putting on a show in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham 2022.
The jumps rider reports the Philip Hobbs-trained gelding to be in good order following his mid-winter break and feels the eight-year-old has nothing to fear following the result of the Cleeve Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday.
Paisley Park surprisingly turned over Champ after giving away a lead at the start, but it did nothing to dampen O'Brien's enthusiasm for the Festival.
O'Brien is looking forward to the three-mile feature on March 17, when Thyme Hill bids to make up for missing the race last year after suffering a setback. He did show his true colours in winning the Stayers Hurdle at Aintree in April.
"He is doing well and all is going nicely and I'm really looking forward to getting going with him in the spring," said O'Brien.
"He won't have another run before the Stayers' Hurdle. He will start schooling soon - he has had a little bit of a break, but all is good with him.
"Looking at the way the race is shaping up after the Trials day, I'm more confident. There is nothing dominant.
"If Champ had come out and bolted up, we'd have been wondering how we were going to beat him, but we beat Paisley Park the last day and Klassical Dream got beat, so we are really looking forward to it."
Thyme Hill finished second to Champ in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot in December and is a general 5-1 chance for the Stayers' Hurdle.
