Rocky's Diamond

He is trained by Declan Queally out of a small yard in Cappagh, Co Waterford, and Queally is clearly a patient, canny handler. The yard has sent out 26 winners this season, which is a serious output for an operation of its size, and Rocky's Diamond appears to be one of its more exciting projects. Queally's remarks after a run at Gowran Park earlier in his career were telling: he called the horse "very cool" and said he "acts like an older horse" — high praise for a young horse, suggesting a temperament that is often more valuable than raw ability.

Gowran Park has become something of a home from home. Two wins from four races there is an exceptional record — half of all his career victories have come at the same track, which is the kind of statistic that gets professional punters reaching for their notebooks. His most recent win came at Galway in September 2025, and Queally's post-race interview revealed how carefully the team had managed his development: they chose Galway over Listowel specifically because the fences are less demanding, conscious that his jumping style — brave but exuberant — needed careful nurturing.

His recent form reads 12-6-6-4-2-1 going back through his last six races, so the wins have dried up over recent months. But the direction of travel is the interesting part: he finished second, then fourth, then a pair of sixths, and most recently twelfth. That last run clearly merits watching closely, though Queally's comments from a stable tour in February suggested the horse was in good shape ahead of a tilt at the Stayers' Hurdle — one of Ireland's most prestigious staying races. With a jockey reporting back positively from a workout and the trainer describing him as "good to go," the team appears to have a clear target in mind and real confidence that Rocky's Diamond can rise to it.