He is not the second coming but with a second festival triumph Samcro is back

Speaking in Cheltenham's winner's enclosure after the 2018 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle, Michael O'Leary insisted Samcro was not the second coming of Jesus Christ. O'Leary was right. Samcro is not the Messiah, although over much of the last two years he has been a very naughty boy.

This, pleased to report, was the day everything changed, for on the much maligned horse's return to the festival, he was not naughty but nice. He was very nice indeed.

It is fortunate Samcro cannot read, partly because that unusual equine talent might once have given him an exceedingly big head and partly because he would have been deeply offended to discover what some of his nearest and dearest eventually came to think of him.