Diamond could get chance to sparkle at Punchestown

Rocky’s Diamond could round off his excellent season at the Punchestown Festival after finishing fourth in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Declan Queally’s stable star has come a long way since landing a handicap hurdle at Gowran Park in early October, going on to finish third as a 66-1 shot for a Grade One at Leopardstown over Christmas before proving that effort was no fluke with a Grade Two win in the Galmoy Hurdle at Gowran Park.

Rocky’s Diamond was a 28-1 shot for the day three feature at Prestbury Park last week and ran a fine race to finish fourth, beaten just over 10 lengths by the winner Bob Olinger.

Queally said: “He’s come back from Cheltenham in good form and it was a hell of a run for a five-year-old, we were delighted with him.

“He’ll probably go to Punchestown and that’d be it I’d say (for the season). I don’t think we’ll go to Aintree, I’m just hoping we might get a bit of rain in April/May and Punchestown will come up safe, but if the ground is too good, we might not even run.

“It’s been a crazy season with him, but he’s done nothing but improve and if he can get a bit stronger with a summer’s grass, he could be a very good horse next year.”

Whether Rocky’s Diamond will stick to long-distance hurdles or pursue a career over fences next season is yet to be decided, with Queally adding: “We’ll have to make a decision on whether we go novice chasing or stick to the staying hurdle route and I honestly don’t know which way we’ll go, to be honest.

“I’ll have to speak to his owner and it will be his call I’d say.”