Rockbury Lad (right) and Leigh Roche © Photo Healy Racing
Leigh Roche completed a quickfire 186/1 double at Dundalk when the previously frustrating Rockbury Lad finally got it all together in division one of the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap.
The Michael O’Callaghan-trained gelding, scoring here on his 18th start, was patiently ridden and arrived full of running up the centre of the track in the straight.
Roche waited until inside the final furlong before asking the 9/2 joint favourite for an effort and the grey did idle a bit in the closing stages when holding off Yester by three quarters of a length. Qaabil was half-a-length further back in third.
O'Callaghan said, "He has always had a lot of ability but, to be fair to the horse, he got a fracture as a two-year-old and got another fracture as a three-year-old.
"He has always been one that you had to try to ride him for luck. He looked like he was going to win in Leopardstown a couple of starts ago, Leigh was riding him for luck and he got wiped out.
"Luckily he rode him again for luck from stall two, a great ride to get him there at just the right time.
"He's the kind of horse that, now he has got his head in front, he might get a bit of confidence. He could rack up a sequence but it took long enough to break his maiden, but I always thought if he got his head in front he might go on.
"As a two-year-old I thought he was a Stakes horse - he's by Showcasing and the lads gave 50 grand for him as a yearling."
Roche, now on the 20 winner mark for the season, was also successful half-an-hour earlier aboard 33/1 shot Charlisse
Quotes by Michael Graham
