Rock has to battle to land the odds

Chief Little Rock was made to work hard to justify his short price in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Leopardstown.

The Ballydoyle colt went to post a 30/100 hotpot for the mile contest having been second at the course three weeks ago.

He came to tackle front-runner Kinesiology a furlong-and-a-half from home but that rival proved a tough cookie and only gave way late on as the Galileo colt prevailed under Ryan Moore by half a length.

“Ryan said he was very babyish still, that he came out and he didn't really know what to do even after having a run,” said trainer Aidan O'Brien.

“He said he always felt that he was going to win but that he was very green with him and he said he felt like a horse that was going to improve a lot so we won't rush him.

“The first day he ran around and was green so we rode him up there today and he probably found all that new too.

“It was satisfactory but he needs to come on and he thinks he will.

“We could look at something like the Beresford so we won't have to rush him and he'll stay at a mile. He'll handle an ease in the ground too, and he's a middle distance horse for next year.”