From Cheltenham to Tinahely: Samcro set to run in point-to-points

A new chapter awaits one-time superstar Samcro as Gordon Elliott has revealed the dual Cheltenham Festival winner will be campaigned in point-to-points this season.

Owners Gigginstown House Stud have opted to pursue a fresh route with the popular ten-year-old, and have entrusted Elliott's travelling head girl Camilla Sharples with reigniting the veteran's fire between the flags.

After being rated 163 over hurdles and 160 over fences at his peak, Samcro now holds a chasing mark of 142 and was last seen pulling up in the Grade 3 An Riocht Chase at Killarney in May – a race he won 12 months earlier.

Samcro: the ten-time jumps winner is set to be campaigned in point-to-points this seasonCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

The Ballymore Novices' Hurdle and Marsh Novices' Chase hero previously travelled well for much of the journey in this year's Grand National before weakening to finish a well-held 11th.

Elliott said: "Samcro is going point-to-pointing. He's been a favourite around the yard and Michael [O'Leary] has given him to Camilla, but if he ends up going back to run on the racecourse it will be in the colours of Gigginstown.

"He's been around the place a long time so we just said we'd do something different."

Camilla Sharples (furthest left) celebrates with the Gordon Elliott team after Samcro's win in the 2020 Marsh Novices' Chase at CheltenhamCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Sharples, a vital member of the Elliott team, has enjoyed success with comparable point-to-point ventures in recent seasons.

Having looked after admirable stayer Kruzhlinin during a previous role with Donald McCain, Sharples was gifted the Grade 3 winner by owners Paul and Clare Rooney and went on to land a whopping 13 point-to-points during the 2018-19 season, including three at Tinahely, although nothing has been announced about where Samcro might run.

Racing for Elliott while in the Sharples' colours, Kruzhlinin also claimed a Navan veterans' chase at the age of 14 in 2021, before retiring with a win over hurdles at Limerick later that year.

Mighty Stowaway was another useful track performer who collected four point-to-point wins in 2021-22 for Sharples, as well as finishing third in the 2022 Hunters' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

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