Owner Michael O'Leary has urged punters to be wary of the hype surrounding unbeaten novice hurdler Samcro.

The Ryanair supremo, who runs the imposing five-year-old under his Gigginstown House Stud banner, is refusing to be carried away with the achievements so far of the Gordon Elliott-trained gelding.

O'Leary told At The Races: "The hype with Samcro is rubbish. He's won his maiden hurdle, he won a graded hurdle reasonably well - Death Duty did the same last year, went to Cheltenham and blew up.

"He'd have to go to Cheltenham and actually win a race there, and the rest of it is just to delude ante-post punters betting at this time of the year. He is not as good as the hype would make out, he will never be as good as the hype will make out.

"If he turns out to be a reasonably good chaser in time, great, but he's not the next coming of Jesus Christ."