Thurles next stop for Foxrock Foxrock is on course to make a second hunter chase outing at Thurles later this month. Ted Walsh's classy staying chaser, who was third in last season's Lexus Chase, has had his sights switched this campaign and made a return over banks at Punchestown in November. After finishing a well-held fifth that day, the Barry Connell-owned nine-year-old was then runner-up in a point-to-point at Borris House last month. Returning to more familiar territory, he claimed a hunter chase at Down Royal in good style on St Stephen's Day, when he avenged his point-to-point defeat by Balnaslow in some style. Foxrock has appeared as second favourite in some lists for the Foxhunter Chase at Cheltenham but Walsh revealed that he does not qualify to run in that race. "He's fine and will go to Thurles in the middle of the month for a hunter chase there," said the County Kildare handler. "He's not eligible for Cheltenham and will be confined to Irish hunter chases this year anyway. "He's not eligible in England as he was placed in a Graded chase last season. "That rules him out of the big two at Cheltenham and Aintree."
