Patience pays off with Rockyaboya

Now with his fourth trainer, Rockyaboya got off the mark on outing number three for Willie Mullins when landing the Proctor & Gamble Maiden Hurdle at Downpatrick under Patrick Mullins.

A point-to-point victor back in November 2008 when with Alan Donoghue (mentioned in the earlier story about Teak Rockyaboya was then with David O'Connor (of You're A Star fame and currently travelling head-man with Colin Bowe) and Caroline Hutchinson (retired at this stage from the training ranks). Today Rockyaboya was bouncing back from a below-par effort at Tramore last time when he was found to be clinically abnormal.

Here he wasn't ignored in the betting (5/1 into 7/2) to leave that performance behind him and he found the greater reserves of stamina from the last to see off Earth Tremor by two and a half lengths.

Patrick Mullins said: "He stays well and he needs a trip. He should make a chaser in time as he is a fine horse – about 16.3. The syndicate (the Flip A Coin Syndicate) are from Carlow and there are six of them in it."