Perce ready to rock again

Perce Rock is set for a brisk return to the racecourse after his Cheltenham Festival aspirations were dealt a blow on St Stephen's Day.

The JP McManus-owned five-year-old was bandied around as a live Arkle Trophy contender after an impressive success on his chasing bow at Navan.

Things did not go his way at Leopardstown over Christmas, however, as he fell three out in the Grade One Durkan New Homes Novice Chase.

Perce Rock will now be given the chance to atone for that novicey error in the near future.

“There’s a race at Leopardstown and one at Navan in the next few weeks and he will probably run in one of them,” reported Fozzy Stack, whose father Tommy trains the gelding.

“There’s no problems after his fall – he just got a little too close, that’s all.

“Cheltenham is still under consideration as long as he doesn’t continue to make similar mistakes like he did at Leopardstown.

“We’ll probably give him another couple of runs or so before then and see where we are.”

Last season’s Tolworth Hurdle runner-up can be backed at widespread odds of 16-1 for the Arkle in March.