Rocky Blue

Rocky Blue made a more than satisfactory return to the track when he finished second to Sicario in the one-mile-five-furlong handicap. Settled at the back of the field by David Mullins, he made ground easily around the outside as they left the back straight. Wide into the home straight, he kept on well down the outside to move into second place with 100 yards to run, closing all the way to the line on the winner, who was admittedly eased down close home.

We hadn’t seen Tom Mullins’ horse since he won the Grade 2 Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle at the 2018 Leopardstown Christmas Festival. Injury ruled him out of the Cheltenham Festival that year, and has kept him off the track since, but he was returning here on the flat on a mark of 71. The handicapper raised him by 5lb to a mark of 76 but, in just two runs over hurdles, he reached a rating of 135 in that sphere, so he could still be a well-handicapped horse on the flat off this mark. His trainer mentioned Galway as a possible target now, and he will be of interest either on the flat or over jumps if he goes there.

Sligo, 2^nd July 2020