Lil Rockerfeller - a stayer and a local star
Lil Rockerfeller in full flight at Newbury
He's a very popular horse with the punters and he's trainer Neil King's 'great servant' - six year-old Lil Rockerfeller is a hurdler of great determination and stamina.
He is a horse that loves Ascot - he is entered there for Saturday's (December 23) JLT Reve De Sivola Long Walk Hurdle over three miles.
And he won for the first time over hurdles at Ascot in March 2015 - partnered by Trevor Whelan who still thinks the world of Rocky. That day he won over the two miles by six lengths.
This season he picked up another £57,000 in prize money when he won Ascot's Coral Hurdle on November 25 - Trevor Whelan taking him to a one-and-a-half length victory over L'Ami Serge.
After five outings and two small wins on the flat for the Hannons, Neil King bought Lil Rockerfeller as a three-year-old for £31,000. He is now owned by Messrs Davies, Smith, Govier & Brown.
During his first season hurdling, Lil Rockerfeller won that valuable handicap at Ascot and followed up winning a juvenile handicap hurdle at Sandown.
In his second season, Lil Rockerfeller ran - some say a bit ambitiously - in the 2016 Champion Hurdle and finished seventh, the only time in 18 hurdle runs that Lil Rockerfeller had finished out of the first four.
He's had his less good days: at Punchestwon last April he trailed in tenth of twelve in the Ladbrokes Chanmpion Stayers Hurdle over three miles. Perhaps Rocky was simply cocking a snook at his pal Trevor Whelan who could not take the ride as he had come off his bicycle and injured himself. Richard Johnson took the ride - to no avail. They finished 33 lengths behind the winner - Unowwhatimeanharry.
Lil Rockerfeller is Neil King's stable star at his Ridgeway Racing Stables at Burderop near Barbury Castle. His first race this season was the Yorkshire Hurdle at Wetherby on November 4 - he finished third of seven.
King said: "He travelled and jumped well to a point, but he always seemed to need his first run of the season. He is a lazy, stuffy type of horse at home which is partly why we take him hunting when we can, to help get his blood pumping."
Rocky's earnings to date stand at £344,865.
Looking ahead, he's a possible entry for Cheltenham's Sun Bests Stayers' Hurdle on March 15.