Quarry Rocco

The other horse to take out of the two-and-a-half-mile novices’ handicap hurdle run on the final day of Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival is Quarry Rocco. Philip Rothwell’s horse did really well to get as close as he did in the end, coming from the rear of the field to finish fourth in a race that was slowly run, a race in which the prominent racers dominated. The first three home occupied the first three positions from early. As well as that, he was badly hampered at the fifth flight, the second flight racing away from the stands, and he reportedly finished lame, but he stayed on determinedly for Darragh O’Keeffe to take fourth place behind the three prominent racers, beaten a total of just over seven lengths.

Hopefully all will be okay with Quarry Rocco now, because he could be a well-handicapped horse on a mark of 111. Winner of his only point-to-point, he was well beaten when sent off as favourite for a handicap hurdle at Gowran Park in September on his only try to date over three miles, but he stayed on well over two and a half here, the second longest trip over which he has raced and, out of a half-sister to Deputy Dan, runner-up in a Reynoldstown Chase and in a Long Distance Hurdle, he is worth another try over three miles.

Leopardstown, 29^th December 2023