Spinner’s ready to bowl over his rivals

SIDE with SAM SPINNER (Newbury, 3.00) to bowl his rivals a googly and restore his reputation in today’s Ladbrokes Long Distance Hurdle.

The six-year-old fluffed his lines at the Cheltenham Festival when his great reserves of stamina were not fully utilised by a conservative ride.

Jedd o’Keefe’s likeable gelding was subsequently beaten at Aintree, but he may have gone over the top by that stage and it is interesting to note his record between November and February reads six wins and a second from seven starts.

Today’s competitive renewal will give a good idea of where sam spinner resides in the staying hurdlers’ pecking order, with likely market leader Wholestone providing stiff opposition.

He made a pleasing start to his campaign with a smooth Aintree success and was in front of sam spinner at both spring festivals, but the northern raider should relish the return to a flat track and the recent rain is in his favour, too.

Buveur D’Air, samcro and summerville Boy are set to clash in a mouth-watering renewal of the BetVictor Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle tomorrow.

samcro, winner of the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, was expected to lay down a Champion Hurdle marker to Buveur D’Air at Down Royal, but was readily outpointed by Bedrock.

Trainer gordon Elliott believes his gelding will be sharper tomorrow and he will need to be with Buveur D’Air defending a ten-race unbeaten record and supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner summerville Boy offering serious opposition.