Hobbs to keep Captain & Wishfull apart Philip Hobbs is making plans for two of last season's most exciting novice chasers Captain Chris and Wishfull Thinking. Hobbs managed to keep the Diana Whateley-owned duo apart in the spring and it proved a highly successful strategy. Captain Chris silenced the doubters with a tremendous performance in the Arkle Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival and followed up at Punchestown in May. Wishfull Thinking had to make do with the runner-up spot in the Jewson Novices' Chase at Cheltenham but went one place better when landing a lucrative handicap under top-weight in Punchestown having won at Aintree also. As both have the potential to stay three miles, the pair could find themselves entered up in the same races again this season, but Hobbs has already made plans to ensure they go down separate paths at the start of the campaign. "The horses came back into training in the middle of July and I'm very happy with them at the moment," said Hobbs. "Captain Chris is in good form and he'll probably go to Exeter for the Haldon Gold Cup on November 1. "That is over two and a quarter miles and we'll see what we do trip-wise after that. "I'm very happy with Wishfull Thinking as well and he may well run in the Old Roan Chase at Aintree on October 22. "If he doesn't go there, the options in November are the Amlin 1965 Chase at Ascot or the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham, where I'd imagine he'd have nearly top-weight. "I'm really not sure what trip either of them want at this stage. Hopefully one of them will end up in the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day but at the moment, I wouldn't like to guess which."
