Cheltenham still the plan for Con's Roc

Terence O’Brien is hoping Con’s Roc can take connections to the Cheltenham Festival in March, although the seven-year-old gelding still has to qualify for the St James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase.

The son of Shirocco won two of his three point-to-point starts last winter and made a bright start under Rules when justifying support in a maiden hunter chase at the Limerick Christmas meeting.

“We’d love to get him to Cheltenham, but he needs to win an open lightweight or finish in the first two in a hunters chase,” said the Carrigtwohill trainer.

“He’s in super form and we’re tempted to go to Naas early next month (February 8). I think he’s as good as what is out there in the division at the moment.”

O’Brien, who saddled Answer To Kayf to be placed in the ‘Martin Pipe’ at the Festival last year, added: “The prudent thing to do would be to win an open. The Tallow point-to-point is also on that weekend so we might enter him up in a few races and then decide.

“He’s a horse that we’ve had to handle with kid gloves a bit as he had suspensory troubles a few times.

“He’s a super leaper and I don’t think I’ve ever had a horse to jump as well as him and the further he goes the better he’ll go. It was only 2m6f the last day in Limerick and it was only in the last half-furlong he started to pull away.

“I’d imagine 3m2f would be right up his alley so we’re keeping the fingers crossed.”