Samcro brings up the ton for Gigginstown as he edges pulsating Marsh from Melon
A century of Grade 1s for Gigginstown House Stud and what better way to bring up the ton than courtesy of Samcro, the horse who was their most prized possession not so long ago. And what made it all the sweeter was that the jockey thought he was beaten when flashing past the post.
A sensational finish made the Marsh a candidate for race of the festival, with Samcro and Melon passing the post virtually in unison with the remarkable veteran Faugheen carried out on his shield in third, just a length behind.
“I didn’t think I was up, I thought he’d chinned me. My horse was headed and got back which will just show you the guts he has,” revealed Samcro’s rider Davy Russell.
We all knew Samcro had a lot of things coming here. A huge engine, loads of natural ability, a high cruising speed and natural jumping, but the one thing we were not sure he possessed was guts. This put that theory to bed. Samcro gets the verdict! Davy Russell has no idea!!!!!
Melon looked like he had his measure a few strides from the line, so much so that he hit a low of 1.06 on the exchanges, but he had to settle for second again. It is the fourth year in a row he will take home a silver medal from the festival having chased home Labaik in the 2017 Supreme and Buveur D’Air and Espoir D’Allen in the last two Champion Hurdles. He did not deserve this. His jumping was electric.
Faugheen, who has often stolen the headlines this season with his age-defying efforts as a 12-year-old novice chaser, including when conquering Samcro by ten lengths at Limerick in December, could not better that rival for a second time, finishing a gallant third.
He returned to huge acclaim but this was Samcro’s day, well overdue it has to be said, and it has been Gordon Elliott’s week. This was vindication of the trainer’s unwavering faith in the imposing son of Germany, although he did admit afterwards that even his patience had been tested.
An understandably hoarse Elliott said: “Samcro is the forgotten horse. He is one of the favourites in the yard and we love him.
“He was in the doldrums for a while and had lost his way, so it means a lot to get him back to win another Grade 1 at Cheltenham.
“You can see how much it means to everyone in the yard. All the girls and Jack Madden who looks after him every day, have done all the hard work with this horse. They have spent day and night trying to get this horse right. He hasn’t been scoping clean and it has been hard to get him to scope right – thankfully it has paid off today.”
The leading trainer so far this week added: “Everyone was knocking him when he was in the doldrums – I probably lost a bit of faith in him myself. The horses are flying and all running well, I just can’t believe it.
“As you know, we’ve built a new stable for Samcro and he lives outside. He’s had his issues but he was right today and it was job done. Jack said to me this week that he hadn’t been this well since the Ballymore [which Samcro won in 2018] and he’s looked better every day. It was a great feeling for him to win. Just to have him back is brilliant.”
Willie Mullins had to watch yet another Grade 1 slip agonisingly through his fingers, but he is hoping to get Melon back to the festival again next year to have a crack at the Gold Cup.
The trainer said: “He ran a fantastic race. The cheekpieces have definitely helped his jumping as he was gaining lengths with his jumping and on the whole it was very good. Hopefully he might race in the big one [Gold Cup] in the future as he jumps and stays.”
Itchy Feet, the main home team challenger, came down at the fence in front of the stands with over a circuit to run having made an earlier error. It continued a frustrating week for Olly Murphy who also had to watch Brewin’upastorm come down in the Racing Post Arkle.
There will be other days for Murphy for sure, and possibly for Itchy Feet too. Write them off at your peril. Samcro taught us that.
Cheltenham ghosts vanquished as Min gains deserved Ryanair Chase success
Min vanquished the ghosts of Cheltenhams past with a bold and brave Ryanair Chase performance that destroyed any lingering doubts about his efficacy around Prestbury Park in utterly resounding fashion.
In three previous starts in the Cotswolds, Rich and Susannah Ricci’s stalwart had failed to emerge victorious. On each of those occasions, though, the Willie Mullins-trained nine-year-old faced an immovable object, finishing second to Altior in the 2016 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the 2018 Queen Mother Champion Chase then running fifth in the same race last year.
This time, Altior missed the Champion Chase, but then so did Chacun Pour Soi, whose defeat of Min at the Dublin Racing Festival had seen him promoted to the number one rank in the Closutton two-mile division. As things transpired, Min would surely have earned a deserved success in Wednesday’s feature.
Alas, it was not to be. Still, this moment of redemption 24 hours later was sweet consolation. In jumping majestically on the front end and then gallantly repelling Saint Calvados and A Plus Tard, finally Min’s irresistible force was enough.
This was his day, and it also constituted further evidence that Paul Townend is a suitably worthy successor to Ruby Walsh, who had not spared his successor in his analysis of Benie De Dieux’s defeat in the Mares’ Hurdle on Tuesday.
Things obviously went wrong then, but Townend resolved not to go wrong with them. That’s the mark of the man.
“There’s no future in looking back,” he said after securing his first, and Mullins’s third, Ryanair Chase success.
“It’s a big week this week and it’s one I’ve always taken very seriously. I’ve been coming here a long time and have come here with good rides before and I just had to come here the same way. Even if they were second strings to Ruby’s they were still very good rides and very important rides.”
Townend had already excelled in bringing Ferny Hollow from last to first in Wednesday’s Champion Bumper finale, and illustrated the range of his tactical versatility here with this contrasting steer.
Watch Min land the Ryanair Chase
Rachael Blackmore had stalked Min throughout aboard A Plus Tard. Once Townend saw her off two-out, Gavin Sheehan began poking up the inside on Saint Calvados and for a moment it looked like he might get there.
However, Sheehan ended up having to come around to launch his challenge. Saint Calvados eventually got motoring and narrowed the gap to a neck at the death, but Min found more when it was needed.
Under Townend’s cool hand, the winner was scoring for a sixth time at the highest level. Of the testy uphill skirmish, the rider said: “When you’re in front, you’re entitled to be on the inside.”
He added: “We went pretty hard early on and when we got back around it steadied down and we got into a lovely rhythm.
“It’s brilliant Min has had his day here. We were all out coming to the line but he got there.”
Of his second winner of the week, having earlier seen Melon chinned so dramatically, Mullins admitted: “It was a little bit wobbly knee time after the last when Saint Calvados came up the inside but the horse still had a bit left in the tank. I did think, ‘Oh no, are we going to get chinned again’, but Min pulled it out.”
Harry Whittington, who later gained compensation with Simply The Betts, said of Saint Calvados: “I’m so proud of him. I’m gutted to be beaten but also so proud of him and the team for getting him here in this condition.”
A Plus Tard, beaten less than two lengths in third, returned a strongly supported 7-4 favourite, and Henry de Bromhead admitted he was a bit disappointed with the run.
“Rachael said he never seemed to be going at all,” he reported. “It definitely wasn’t the distance as he was closer at the line than he was at the last. He just didn’t seem to run his race.”
The 2019 hero Frodon led or sat upsides Min in the early exchanges. He kept on for fourth but had no answer to a merciless winner.
