Samcro returns to winning ways with 17-length Down Royal victory

Samcro’s first appearance over fences since winning his Monksgrange point-to-point as a four-year-old, saw him regain the winning thread, as he eased to a comfortable success in the Advanced NI Scaffolding Beginners Chase at Down Royal on Friday.

The Germany gelding had won his opening eight races on the bounce, including the Grade 1 Ballymore Novices Hurdle at the 2018 Cheltenham Festival, however since then he struggled to get his head in front, ending his second-season hurdling campaign without a victory.

Returning for the first time since finishing fifth in the Ryanair Hurdle at last year’s Leopardstown Christmas Festival, the 1/3 shot made his way to the front along the back straight, and from that point, the seven-year-old easily asserted over the final three fences to defeat Trappist Monk by 17 lengths for Keith Donoghue.

The success was a third on the afternoon for Gordon Elliott with point-to-pointers, following on from Fury Road and Daylight Katie.

“That was class!” remarked Donoghue.

“He has loads of scope - long, short whatever you want, he jumped very easily. He got a bit keen along the back when Kevin Sexton’s horse made a mistake, but he settled a bit better after and woke up when I asked him to quicken.

“You won’t see the best of him until he goes into better company and there seems to be a lot of more spark about him this year.”