Samcro ends odds-on misery run for O’leary

Until Samcro won yesterday’s Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, owner Michael O’leary had, over the years, seen 12 odds-on shots get beat in his colours at Cheltenham. “It’s the kiss of death. He must be good!” he said.

The easy-moving chestnut, an 8-11 shot and generally regarded as one of the meeting’s bankers, duly loped round before being driven out by his teenage jockey Jack Kennedy and, though a 2½-length victory over Black Op might not strike one as the much predicted “Second Coming”, it was nevertheless victory with an air of inevitability.

“Jack gave him a peach – he was in the right place the whole way round,” said O’leary. “I was getting sweaty when Black Op emerged on the inside, but he’s done it well. I’ve never had one with this much hype. Eddie [brother and racing manager] saw him win a point-to-point. We’ve always been in love with him and paid [£335,000] far too much for him!”

In racing terms he is only just out of nappies but bookmakers were quoting him for the Gold Cup. “The only downside to winning a race at Cheltenham is that everyone wants to plan the future rather than enjoy the moment,” said O’leary.

The victory was not the restorative the bookmakers were hoping for after a losing first day and the knife was further twisted by the wins of Presenting Percy, 5-2 favourite in the RSA Chase, and Altior (evens), in the Champion Chase.

Presenting Percy is the one horse which bookmakers should be quoting for next year’s Gold Cup. Round the home bend, Davy Russell, extending his record of at least one Festival winner a year since his first in 2006, looked like he was posing for a still life while his colleagues were all frantic with activity.

The seven-year-old, owned by Philip Reynolds and trained by the remarkable Pat Kelly, beat Monalee by seven lengths. “Full credit to Pat Kelly – he’s a genius,” said Russell, whose mother died less than a fortnight ago.

“Jason Titley [his assistant] said don’t be surprised if you see him in a hurdle [for his last run]. I’ve only sat on him on a racecourse and never at home. I don’t know what Pat does with them but he deserves huge credit.”

It was not quite a repeat of his day-one treble but Willie Mullins took his week’s tally to five with Bleu Berry in the Coral Cup and the fast-finishing 25-1 chance Relegate, ridden by Katie Walsh, who led home a one-two-three for the trainer in the Bumper.