Samingarry on course to take his chance in the bet365 Gold Cup
Tuesday 14 April 2015 15:39, UK
Samingarry is on course to take his chance in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown on the final day of the National Hunt season.
Having disappointed on his seasonal bow at Cheltenham, Nigel Hawke's charge has come back with a vengeance in the second half of the campaign.
A runaway winner at Chepstow on his most recent outing, the Somerset handler thinks the eight-year-old is capable of taking the big step up in class at the Esher track.
"He won his race really well at Chepstow and he's really fresh and well for this time of year," Hawke said.
"He can't go on soft, but he really needs good ground to be at this best.
"The original plan was the Scottish National but, to be honest, I'm not fully convinced about the trip so we are now thinking about going to the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown and then maybe up to Perth.
"We started him off at Cheltenham, where he gave himself a clout, and that proved to be a blessing in disguise as he's had a light season so far.
"Some of the horses who'll be in the Sandown race will have had long, hard seasons and the race could fall apart a little bit, especially with the Grand National, Scottish National and the bet365 all in the space of a couple of weeks.
"He's gone up 8lb for his Chepstow win but it was a performance that deserved that sort of rise.
"He's a really nice, progressive staying chaser."
