THE FESTIVAL-CHELTENHAM 2020 – DAY 3

Samcro is back in business
G1 Marsh Novices’ Chase

Samcro, Melon and Faugheen jump the last

Samcro (4/1) has long been regarded as a top-class operator by his connections and rediscovered the winning thread with a gutsy performance in the £150,000 G1 Marsh Novices’ Chase. Trained by Gordon Elliott and ridden by Davy Russell, the eight-year-old son of Germany had undergone wind surgery since his last start in December and built a new stable at Elliott’s yard in Cullentra, County Meath, Ireland. This performance was a culmination of months of hard work by Elliott and his team as he gamely saw off the gallant Melon (14/1) by a nose in a thrilling finish to the opener. Dual Cheltenham Festival hero Faugheen (3/1 favourite), who like the runner-up is also trained by Willie Mullins, was a length back in third.

This was Elliott’s fourth victory of The Festival™ presented by Magners 2020 (Ravenhill, G2 National Hunt Chase; Envoi Allen, G1 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle and Aramax, G3 Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle) and his 29th success in total at the meeting. He now leads the Irish Independent Leading Trainer Award (based on his five second-placed finishes).

Reflecting on a second success at The Festival for Samcro following his win in the 2018 G1 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, Elliott said: “Samcro is the forgotten horse. He is one the favourites in the yard and we love him. Samcro was in the doldrums for a while and had lost his way, so it means a lot to get him back to win another G1 at Cheltenham. You can see how much it means to everyone in the yard. All the girls and Jack Madden who looks after him everyday, 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. It is great. 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. I thought he had just got there on the line. Davy said that he missed the second-last and he was on the back-foot, so it was great to see him win. It was a great race to watch with Melon, Faugheen and Samcro battling it out, it is what we are all here for. He’s had his issues, but he was right today and it was job done. Jack Madden said to me this week that he hadn’t been this well since the Ballymore and he has looked better everyday.”

Curtis scores at 50/1 with Oscar
G1 Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle

Lisnagar Oscar leads over the last

Fourteen weeks after giving birth to a daughter, Rebecca Curtis scored her first Festival success since 2015 when the 50/1 chance Lisnagar Oscar stormed home in the G1 Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle. It was her fifth win at The Festival in total. Ridden by Adam Wedge, for whom it was a first Festival win, seven-year-old Lisnagar Oscar beat 20/1 shot Ronald Pump by two lengths, with 33/1 Bacardys in third. Curtis said: “He ran a blinder on his last run and I am not sure whatever happened to him at the beginning of the season. We did find a few ulcers and things, so we treated him for that and he was so well at home. I thought 50/1 was a massive price. Adam is what I call such a solid, solid jockey. I am delighted for him to get his first Festival winner. He has given the horse a brilliant ride.

“I’m absolutely delighted. I thought he had a big chance today; I didn’t think he would beat [2019 winner] Paisley Park, but I thought he’d get placed. To see him improve that much – I’m just delighted. I was thinking, ‘don’t get caught, don’t get caught.’ He took a nice pull all the way and I thought they went a good gallop. It’s a time when I need it; I’m trying to rebuild the yard. I’ve had four winners here before, but it’s been five years, so it’s just great to win another one.”

The winner returned a dividend of £85.70 on the Tote, with an Exacta of £1,464 and a Tricast of £28,381.06.