Image © Healy Racing
The Declan Queally-trained Rocky’s Howya, who finished fourth in the 2023 renewal of the Cheltenham Foxhunters, is on target to better that result after he returned to winning ways at Cragmore recently, defeating another potential Cheltenham contender, Con's Roc, in the process.
The former champion point-to-point had returned from injury-related setback at Moig South in November when the nine-year-old son of Ask made Winged Leader work hard for victory, before a bad blunder at the final fence somewhat hindered the efforts of his challenge under Emily Cody.
“He had a little setback which is why he hadn’t ran since May 2024, but he ran a blinder at Moig South and I think he may have won that race had he not made a mistake. He was unlucky to be beaten," Queally reported.
Ray Barron was aboard Rocky’s Howya when he was sent off the evens favourite for the Masterchef 2025 Maiden Hunter Chase at Limerick over the Christmas period, and despite making virtually all the running until headed at the second last obstacle, he could only manage fourth place behind the Terence O’Brien-trained Con’s Roc.
“I wasn’t too disappointed with his run in Limerick, the trip was probably a bit sharp for him. Then there was a false start and he went off out the front then had to come back. It was very messy.
“He’s a funny horse and probably thought the race was over. Ray Barron who was riding him didn’t know him that well. He’s an old horse and a very clever horse and thinks a little about things”.
“He came home out of the race grand and was probably a good bit fitter going into Cragmore last week."
The Margaret Kiely gelding was able to get his revenge on his Limerick conqueror Con’s Roc when landing the open at Cragmore last weekend under Queally's son and namesake.
“We were confident of a good run in Cragmore, we wouldn’t have ran otherwise. He was supposed to run in Dungarvan and one of the young lads in the yard, Cathal Sheehan was supposed to ride him, so we were disappointed that Dungarvan was called off for the sake of Cathal.
“We don’t have a lot of point-to-pointers anymore so the opportunities are limited enough for our young lads. We have another young lad in the yard, Conor Reddy, who has been unlucky on couple of spins on a mare Yorkshire Escape.
"We have to stick with them. At the end of the day, those lads are in the yard early in the morning and back again in the evenings, so you have to stick with them and give them opportunities where we can.
“If Rocky’s Howya does get to Cheltenham, Dec will be riding him, so he rode him at Cragmore as he wanted to have a spin on him before Cheltenham."
Queally who trains around 40 horses at his Cappagh base in Dungarvan, County Waterford has been having successful period of form lately with I’ll Sort That taking the bumper in Fairyhouse on January 25th and a double at Gowran Park on Thyestes Day two days previously with Carrigmoorna Beech winning the bumper and Rocky’s Diamond impressively winning the Grade 2 John Mulhern Galmoy Hurdle in the same colours of Rocky’s Howya’s owner Margaret Kiely.
According to Queally, Rocky’s Howya won’t run again before Cheltenham.
“There’s nothing in concrete as you never know what will happen down the road but so far so good, Cheltenham is what we are aiming for. Rocky’s Howya’s owners enjoy going to England for football matches and they’ll have scarves and hats made for Cheltenham, they’re not in it to make money, they are purely in it for the fun”.
