Samcro stays over hurdles, says Elliott
» GORDON Elliott was inching ever closer at The Showcase meeting to making a decision about Samcro’s seasonal starting point- and that can now be revealed.
The Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle hero stays over the smaller obstacles and kicks off his campaign at Down Royal on Friday.
It is hoped a good performance in the Grade Two WKD Hurdle will start him off on the road to the two-mile championship race at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival.
“I’ve spoken to Michael and Eddie and we’ve decided to keep him over hurdles this season in the hope that he can develop into a Champion Hurdle contender,” Elliott told Betfair.
“I’ve never had a Champion Hurdle horse before and Gigginstown have yet to win it and we thought that it was worth giving Samcro a shot at that race.
“I’m under no illusions about the challenge that he faces but he was a top-class novice hurdler last season and the race he won at Cheltenham has produced a number of previous champion hurdlers in Faugheen, Hardy Eustace and Istabraq.
“Samcro has a long way to go to be mentioned in the same breath as them but he’s done absolutely everything that we have asked of him so far and I’m hoping that there’s more to come.”
Elliott spoke briefly about Samcro after saddling Dinons (4/6f) to an impressive success in Saturday’s Randox Health Novices’ Hurdle, his fifth in a row,
The trainer plans to bring 2018 Grand National winner Tiger Roll to Cheltenham’s November Meeting for a crack at his favourite cross country fences, while Triumph Hurdle victor Farclas will have a slightly delayed comeback.
“The plan is to come back here in November with Tiger Roll,” Elliott continued. “He’s in great form. “Farclas has had a wind op and will return a little later, this side of Christmas.
“He’ll stay hurdling, he’s only four so there’s plenty of time to jump fences.”
On a day dominated by close finishes, Dinons put 14 lengths between himself and the pursuers under Richard Johnson, who seems to be in cruise control at the top of the 2018/19 Stobart Jump Jockeys’ Championship.
“He’s a big honest galloper,” said Elliott.
“If his jumping was slick he would be a very nice horse. We will take him home and see how he is.
“He’s won four this summer. They are taking the top of it (the ground) but it’s not deep underneath.
“He’s a chaser in the making.”
Elliott recorded a double in the next race with Cubomania (100/30), while Paul Nicholls added his name to the Cheltenham scoresheet for the first time this season when Modus (4/1) showed plenty of heart to capture the Randox Health Handicap Chase.
Winning jockey Barry Geraghty, who took the first race of The Showcase meeting on Friday said: “He hit the last a little bit.
“He hasn’t quite mastered it yet (jumping