The hype was worth following, as Samcro, the big Irish banker for the 2018 Cheltenham Festival, delivered on everything that he had promised when landing the £125,000 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle.
Positioned wide in the hands of Jack Kennedy, the Germany gelding loomed large on the approach for the home straight, and the six-year-old went on soon after, with Kennedy kicking for home on the run to the final flight in the Grade 1 contest.
Loughanmore points winner Black Op, attempted to give chase over the final hurdle, however Samcro, who may well have idled up the Cheltenham run-in, was much too good, and was always in command up the famous hill to provide Gordon Elliott with his first success at the 2018 festival.
It was a famous result for point-to-point graduates, with the first three horses home in the 2m5f contest having all began their careers between the flags.
Samcro won his four-year-old maiden at Monksgrange in 2016 under Barry O’Neill for Colin Bowe, runner-up Black Op won his five-year-old maiden at Loughanmore a week earlier for Jason McKeown and Rodney Arthur, whilst Next Destination, who stayed-on late to claim the third sport in the Ballymore, won his four-year-old maiden at Quakerstown for Paul O’Neill and John Costello.
That Monksgrange four-year-old maiden really proved to be a notable piece of form at Cheltenham on Wednesday, as 40-minutes after Samcro won that Grade 1 £125,000 contest, Elegant Escape, the horse he had defeated at the Wexford points venue, came out and finished third in the Grade 1 RSA Chase.
Bought by Gigginstown House Stud at the Goffs UK Aintree sale following that Monksgrange success for £335,000, Samcro remains unbeaten and has now won seven races under rules including a brace of Grade 1 contests and is already close to the £200,000 mark in prize money.
It wasn't a bad 4yo maiden at Monksgrange P2P in Co. Wexford back in 2016 was it?
— p2p.ie (@irishp2p) March 14, 2018
In the space of 40mins, SAMCRO wins the Grade 1 @ballymore Hurdle & runner-up Elegant Escape finishes third in the Grade 1 RSA Chase#IrishPointers #CheltenhamFestival pic.twitter.com/Ph7of87UY8
