Midweek treat as star hurdler Sam Spinner begins career over fences

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It is not every day a 164-rated Grade 1-winning hurdler makes his debut over fences, but Sam Spinner is the headline name as Wetherby hosts its first jumps meeting of the campaign and connections are understandably excited to see how he fares.

Owned by Caron and Paul Chapman, Jedd O'Keeffe's flagbearer emerged as a smart performer in 2017 when winning the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot and he finished fifth when the 9-4 favourite for the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham the following March.

Last term started with two unseats, but the son of Black Sam Bellamy returned to form with a 33-1 second to Paisley Park in the Stayers' Hurdle.

O'Keeffe said: "His schooling's gone more than smoothly - very well. He's done plenty of it and we're very happy with him. It's about perfect in terms of a starting point and we've been gearing up for this for some time. He's not at his very peak as we want that to be later in the season, but the ground looks like it will be fine.

"The trip might be on the sharp side, but hopefully it will be okay for his first go and it's about teaching him his new job and whether he's the attributes for it."

Joe Colliver (left) with Sam Spinner and Jedd O'KeefeCredit: Louise Pollard

Sam Spinner failed to fire in Aintree's Stayers Hurdle in April, but O'Keeffe added: "Nothing came to light, a bit like Aintree the previous year and I think he was just a spent force having given his all at Cheltenham. He's one of those who wears his heart on his sleeve, in the fact he makes the running for a lot of the way. It was one run too many at Aintree, so we've put a line through it."

Asked if his stable star - who will be partnered by Joe Colliver - would attempt to make all, the trainer replied: "We haven't made a plan and I imagine he'll want some company early on over the first few fences and then I'll leave it to the jockey how he's getting on.

"If Paisley Park wasn't around we'd probably be staying over hurdles. If we'd have won the Stayers' I think we would have stayed over hurdles, but we'll be coming up against Paisley Park in all of those races and probably getting beaten.

"If fences don't work out we'll probably be reverting to hurdles, but I think if he was only going to be a handicap chaser we'd be over hurdles - our expectations are very high and so they should be.

"His jumping is very good, he stays well and has loads of scope."

The seven-year-old faces five rivals including Beakstown, a promising novice hurdler last season who is reportedly high up on the Skelton team's list of novice chasers.

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