Interview - Jockey Philip Carberry: Brian O'Connortalks to Philip Carberry who is confident of a big run from Sublimity in today's Champion Hurdle.

If Sublimity can upset his high-profile rivals and lift this afternoon's Smurfit Kappa Champion Hurdle crown, it will bring to an end something of a perfect year for his jockey Philip Carberry who on this day in 2006 endured a much less perfect experience.

Twelve months ago, Sublimity was widely fancied to make his presence felt in the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices Hurdle and he did just that with a fourth to Noland that in the circumstances was a pretty remarkable effort.

That he got so close was a tribute to the John Carr-trained horse's resilience because for most of the race, he was making his presence felt in parts of Cheltenham that are rarely visited.

Trapped wide at the top of the hill, Sublimity met interference that sent him even wider and was also hampered by a loose horse, a combination that effectively ruined his chance of winning. The result was a lot of frustration and even more criticism of Carberry.

As a son of the legendary champion Tommy Carberry, and a member of a racing dynasty that includes other champion riders, Paul and Nina, as siblings, he was well aware that blaming the jockey is the easy, knee-jerk reaction.

Unfortunately, as someone who has also laboured under some fairly large family shadows, Carberry also knew only too well that grandstand jockeys can colour perceptions.

Despite big race success on the likes of the 1999 Kerry National winner Lanturn, the general consensus on him was of a very decent rider who wasn't in possession of the same levels of natural talent as his older brother, or his champion amateur sister. For many, Sublimity's Supreme experience only confirmed their prejudices.

But as reactions go, the 27-year-old's was impressive, suddenly kick-starting the most successful period of his career and sending any critics scuttling for cover in the process.

A few weeks after Cheltenham, he sailed through to Irish Grand National success at Fairyhouse on Point Barrow, emulating both his father and his brother. And then, Carberry ventured into very much virgin territory.

Having ridden for Francois Cottin here, Carberry suspected that particular contact had dried up after Cottin returned to train in his native France. But when injuries meant Cottin needed a rider for his high class mare, Princesse D'Anjou, he turned to his friend in Ireland. The result was spectacular.

Carberry and the diminutive mare clicked to such an extent that they landed French jump racing's greatest prize, and their equivalent of the Gold Cup, the Grand Steeple Chase de Paris, at Auteuil in May. The Irishman was the first foreign rider to win the race since Fred Winter in 1962. Suddenly a brand new arena opened up for him.

"I go over to France quite regularly now and it's going great. Francois has helped me a lot and it's been very good, with great prizemoney," he said. He has not ruled out a full-time move to the Continent in time.

At the moment though, airport-hopping suits him just fine, especially with a prospect like Sublimity possessing the chance to carve out even more virgin territory.

Grand Nationals and Gold Cups have fallen to the Carberry clan but no Champion Hurdle. Over the last month, confidence has grown remorselessly that Sublimity might just change that.

For many, he has sneaked under the radar with just one run this season but Carr is confident he has the ex-Michael Stoute trained horse in peak form and the Maynooth trainer has also never wavered in his support for the jockey.

There is also the not inconsiderable fact that Sublimity would leave Brave Inca, Hardy Eustace et al eating his dust if they ran in a flat race. We are, after all, talking about a triple-Stakes winner who put no less a horse than Yeats in his place up the Curragh two years ago.

"He's the best I've ridden and you would have to say he is by far the best of these on the flat. He was a miler-10 furlong horse so he really is quick. But he is also the best jumper of a hurdle I've ever been on," is Carberry's verdict.

Not surprisingly for a horse that has been backed from 66 to 1 into general odds of 14 to 1, Carberry's focus remains resolutely on his own chances rather than anyone else's.

"We're not afraid of any one horse. We're more concerned with having him right on the day. If he's right, he will run a very big race," he says.

"His ideal ground would be something like yielding to soft but I don't think the going will be a problem. Neither will the track.

"Last year was just one of those things. It was only his third run over hurdles that day. He's a much more relaxed horse now, and is enjoying it more," Carberry adds.

The same comment might also apply to his jockey who with top class success under his belt from France has the confidence to snap up any chance of a first Cheltenham festival success.