Foxrock To Stay Hunter Chasing Foxrock is likely to return to the hunter chase sphere after pulling up in the Irish Grand National last month. Owner Barry Connell and trainer Ted Walsh elected to return their former point-to-pointer to the grass-roots of the game at the end of 2016. It proved a shrewd move with the high-class campaigner as he won four consecutive races including a big prize on Irish Gold Cup day at Leopardstown and the prestigious Tetratema Cup at Gowran Park. "He wasn't qualified for the hunter chases at Cheltenham or Aintree this year but he will be next year, so he'll probably follow a similar programme again," explained Connell. "All his form is on soft ground and though it was perfectly safe ground for the Irish National, it was probably too lively for him. "It's a pity he wasn't eligible for the big hunter chases this year because that division seemed pretty weak in Cheltenham and Punchestown this time around. "The Grand National isn't in my mind at the minute now that he'll be qualified for the hunter chases this year. I'd say that's what we'll stick to. "He's young enough still - he's only nine - and a lot of these hunter chasers can keep going for longer. He's lightly enough raced, too. "He was unbeaten in that sphere this year, even though he had to do a lot of donkey work himself, making his own running. "Bar something new comes into the system, you'd expect him to go and beat all those horses again next year."
