Sam To Play It Again In Morgiana

All roads lead to Punchestown on Sunday with the Morgiana Hurdle the centre piece on a top class card and, while connections of Samcro said yesterday evening that Gordon Elliott’s stable star is 50-50 to run due to the ground, the expectation is that the Punchestown team will have put enough water on to keep it suitable for all.

Reputation To Be Realised
Samcro was made odds on favourite for this race at the entry stage and while he was still to get up to the required standard for this level, Samcro is picked to make his mark at this level.

What a race this is. The ground is good and no sensible person has a Christmas tree up yet but three top class hurdlers are set to clash at Punchestown today and it truly is a race that is worth the entry fee alone.

Supasundae won two Champion Hurdle’s in Ireland last season over two miles and Faugheen is Faugheen. Willie Mullins’ charge is one of the best hurdlers of his generation and won this race last year coming home alone. Faugheen was stepped up to three miles last year and proved to be at his best over that trip too and while he is probably going to do his most damage over extended trips this season too, it is not to say he can’t be a big danger with reports being his work has been very good this week.

Samcro was certainly disappointing at Down Royal but that second season novice is a race that has caught out good horses in the past and with Elliott’s horses looking to need a run this season and winners from the yard still in plentiful supply, we can surely expect a much fitter Samcro on this occasion.

Samcro unfortunately fell too soon to be judged in the Champion Hurdle at Punchestown last April and he really is priced on reputation over proof, but he won all before him in the novice ranks and

today can be the day he proves he deserves a place at the top table of hurdling.

Power’s Prayers To Be Answered
Horses coming on for a run has been a common trend with a lot of trainers this season. Gordon Elliott isn’t alone there as the likes of Jessica Harrington and Colin Tizzard have both enjoyed winners recently with horses having their second start of the campaign.

BoyleSports ambassador Robbie Power rides for both of those powerful stables and he can bag another winner today on The Holy One in the handicap hurdle.

In his Herald column on Saturday, Power spoke positively of his chance on The Holy One and while the five-year-old wasn’t nominated as his best chance of the weekend, a good case an be made for the Harrington runner.

The Holy One has had his run this season at that Down Royal meeting earlier in the month and he finished fourth behind a very well regarded winner of Noel Meade’s called Brace Yourself.

The winner of that race is Grade 1 bound at Fairyhouse next month and The Holy One could just look very well treated off a rating of 123.

Hearts Are Trumps is an obvious danger but The Holy One had some real good bumper form behind some talented horses and he ran a blinder at Punchestown last season at the Festival so

it would be a surprise if he can’t go very close in a race like this.

Recommended Bets:
Samcro (5/6) – 2.15 Punchestown
The Holy One (8/1) – 12.35 Punchestown

*Prices correct at time of publication.