Rocky's Diamond shines on first crack at fences Rocky's Diamond jumped from fence to fence as he made a more than pleasing debut over the bigger obstacles in the beginners' chase on Galway's card. The former Grade 2 hurdle winner attacked the fences throughout this extended 2m2f assignment, but hadn't burned off My Great Mate who was hanging tough in second rounding the home bend. Amateur-rider Michael Kenneally got after his mount in the final furlong and the five-year-old gelding lengthened away in the closing stages to come home clear by five and a-half lengths at 9/4. Addragoole kept on for second at 14/1. Declan Queally said: “That was brilliant, it was some round of jumping to be fair. “I was a bit worried beforehand that he had been very exuberant at home, standing off outside the wings. I was saying ‘if he gets one of these wrong, it’s not going to be good’. “I’d say when he’s going on in a race, going faster, he does know what he’s doing even though he’s very exuberant. He’s a very good jumper. “Michael had done a good bit of schooling on him, he knows when you see a long one on him just to go for it. “I didn’t really want to go to Listowel as the fences are a little bit bigger and they are trappier. “I wanted to get that out of the way, so we can afford to sit back and chill now a little and see where we go. “We’ll probably look for a graded race somewhere. The Florida Pearl at Punchestown at the end of November is three miles - we’ll see. “He’s only in nine weeks as well, which is a fair trial of him. He only came in on the first of July. He’s only tipping away, but he has a lot of natural ability - he’s a very good horse. “It’s unreal to have a horse like him, I’m just pinching myself every day. It’s great.” Paddy Power were suitably impressed to cut Rocky's Diamond from 25/1 to 14/1 for the Brown Advisory Novices' Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Additional reporting by Gary Carson
