HEE’S OUT TO STOP SAM
Veteran can put Cro in his place
FORMER champion Faugheen, impressive in the race last year, sets the standard in the star-studded Unibet Morgiana Hurdle in Punchestown tomorrow.
The season’s first Grade 1 hurdle will pit the nine-time Grade 1 winner against last season’s star novice SAMCRO, surprisingly beaten on his recent seasonal debut in Down Royal, and SUPASUNDAE, winner of both the Irish and Punchestown Champion Hurdles last season.
Samcro, a Grade 1 winner in novice company at Leopardstown and Cheltenham, will be sent off favourite to get his career back on track tomorrow, if Gordon Elliott and the O’learys give him the green-light to run on unsuitably fast ground. He’s sure to strip fitter than when failing to cope with Bedrock, and with Davy Russell taking over in the saddle from the suspended Jack Kennedy.
But, despite his impressive wins as a novice, Elliott’s charge has plenty to prove today as he faces Grade 1 open company for second time – he fell at the third last, when travelling strongly, in the Punchestown Champion Hurdle last spring, a race ultimately dominated by two of tomorrow’s rivals, Supasundae and WICKLOW BRAVE.
In Down Royal he appeared to travel sweetly but failed to quicken at a crucial stage before plugging on.
Tomorrow, he’ll have to be a lot sharper, with Faugheen, which slammed Jezki by 16 lengths in this race 12 months ago, expected to bowl along at a strong pace and, in doing so, put pressure on Samcro’s jumping.
Of course, Faugheen’s career has been interrupted by injury. And last season his form fluctuated, from his Morgiana win to being pulled up at Leopardstown over Christmas, a narrow defeat by Supasundae in the Irish Champion Hurdle to his sixth to Buveur D’air in the Champion at Cheltenham.
But he was back in top form when slamming his rivals in the three-mile Ladbrokes Champion Stayers Hurdle at Punchestown in April.
Reported by Willie Mullins, who is chasing his eighth successive Morgiana success, to be in good shape in his recent work, Faugheen represents a serious stumbling block for Samcro.
If the Gigginstown horse gets the go-ahead and topples his two, proven Grade 1 rivals, he will deservedly return to the top of the Champion Hurdle betting.
But, at his best, Faugheen is an awesome performer, over two or three miles. And Supasundae is another formidable opponent, although Jessica Harrington’s charge can be expected to improve plenty from this seasonal bow.
All three of the big guns have shown their effectiveness beyond two miles. And tomorrow’s clash should be fascinating, with Faugheen getting a hesitant vote to keep Samcro at bay.