Gigginstown warn Samcro will miss star clash in Morgiana if ground is too fast

Gordon Elliott and Gigginstown's Eddie O'Leary are optimistic that Samcro has improved for his shock reappearance defeat as last year's star novice headlines a stellar list of eight for Sunday's Unibet Morgiana Hurdle, although O'Leary has cautioned that the six-year-old might not run if there isn't sufficient give in the Punchestown ground.

Should Samcro take his chance in Sunday's €100,000 Grade 1, we could have the makings of a cracking showdown, with Willie Mullins' 2015 champion hurdler Faugheen engaged in the two-miler along with classy stable-mates Laurina and Melon, who was second in the Cheltenham showpiece last March.

Jessica Harrington's Supasundae, who plundered the Grade 1 BHP Irish Champion Hurdle and its Betdaq-sponsored equivalent at Punchestown in April when Samcro and Melon departed independently three out, is also among the eight contenders.

Supasundae: entered for Jessica HarringtonCredit: Caroline Norris

Elliott, who has also left fellow Gigginstown-owned Tombstone in the race, is expecting Samcro to strip a lot fitter from his Down Royal reappearance defeat to Bedrock.

Last season's Ballymore Novices' Hurdle winner is a top-priced 9-2 for the Champion Hurdle and the trainer said: "Samcro is in good shape and the plan is for him to head for the Morgiana Hurdle. I've been happy with him at home for the last week and he has come out of Down Royal in good shape and hopefully that run will bring him on fitness wise.”

With regular rider Jack Kennedy suspended, a decision will need to be made about who deputises on Sunday, and Elliott added: "He's going to have to improve on his Down Royal form but I did think that the run will bring him forward so we'll see what happens on Sunday.

“Jack [Kennedy] is suspended and it won't be until later in the week that we will finalise riding arrangements."

Samcro (right): beaten by Bedrock last timeCredit: Patrick McCann

O’Leary is also expecting plenty of improvement from Samcro on Sunday but warned that he, and the outfit’s brightest stars, won’t be risked at Punchestown if the ground is too fast.

He said: “Hopefully that run in the north will have brought Samcro on, but we’re not going to risk him on unsuitable ground.

“We’ll know later in the week what way the ground is going to be at Punchestown and we’ll discuss it then, but there’s no point talking about it now. I’d say they’ll have very small fields if they don’t water.”

Ground update

Clerk of the course Brendan Sheridan provided an update on the ground on Tuesday. He said: “We’re expecting to get five to six millimetres of rain tonight and into Wednesday morning.

"We’ll monitor the situation over the next couple of days and we’ll see where we’re going then. We’re good, good to yielding at the moment.

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