Morris retains faith in Sams Profile It was good to see horse and rider emerge unscathed after Sams Profile took a heavy fall in the beginners’ chase at Thurles last Thursday. The Black Sam Bellamy gelding had shaped well on that first outing for over 18 months, bowling along in front and jumping accurately for Phillip Enright before getting the third-last fence all wrong and coming down. He had had just been headed before that fence by odds-on favourite Lord Royal (himself a faller at the second-last) but appeared to have plenty left to give as Enright hadn’t asked any questions of him at that stage of the race. Owned by Michael and John O’Flynn, the 6-year-old impressed when winning his only start in point-to-points for Michael Goff before showing smart novice hurdle form two seasons ago. He was runner-up in Grade 1 events behind Battleoverdoyen and Reserve Tank and finished a fair fifth at Cheltenham in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle behind City Island. Injury then intervened but trainer Mouse Morris remains hopeful that his charge, who holds an entry in Sunday’s Grade 1 Drinmore Novice Chase at Fairyhouse, can prosper over fences despite that less than ideal start. “Thankfully he’s fine and none the worse for his fall. “Phillip said he just stepped at it and maybe he saw a shadow. He’d jumped great up to that. “He was ready to run at the end of last season at Punchestown but then the lockdown stopped that. “Having the year out probably hasn’t done him any harm as he’s filled out and is a stronger horse now.”
