Ruby team to mull chase option

A decision on whether Rock On Ruby will remain over hurdles or begin a novice chase campaign next season will be made over the summer.

Harry Fry’s stable star lost his Champion Hurdle crown to Hurricane Fly and finished behind that same rival on bad ground at Punchestown last week

Connections have mentioned a chasing career in the past and with the likes of The New One, My Tent Or Yours and Our Conor now on the horizon, they may feel now is the right time to switch.

“We’ve got to make a decision over the summer as to which direction we head, but we’re not going to rush into that,” said Fry in his Stan James.com blog.

“I’ll sit down with all the owners and see what Noel (Fehily, jockey) and Ciara (O’Connor, assistant) both feel and make a decision between the team.

“We’ll look at how far we went this year over hurdles and then assess things as regards to which races we could aim for, either over hurdles or over fences, and see which category we would have the best chance of being most competitive in.

“We’ve yet to have that discussion so when we do we’ll let everyone know, but we won’t be rushing into a decision.”