Sly sets sights on Aintree aim for Eileendover

Keith Hamer
February 10, 2021 1:57 pm

Bumper performer will bypass the Cheltenham Festival.

Pam Sly is to resist the temptation of Cheltenham for Eileendover and run her star filly at Aintree instead.

The Peterborough trainer feels the Weatherbys Champion Bumper will come too soon for her unbeaten charge and is to prepare her for the Goffs UK Nickel Coin Mares’ Standard Open National Hunt Flat Race on April 8.

Sly has just started to build Eileendover back up to full fitness after giving her a month’s break following her victory in a Listed bumper at Market Rasen.

“She’s had a month’s holiday. She’d been in since last February. It’s a long time,” said Sly.

“She’s on the walker this week. We can’t do much at the moment. It keeps snowing and we’ve had another frost this morning.

“I’m still aiming to go to Aintree. I know I should probably go for the Grade One at Cheltenham, but I just think it’s too early. I won’t have her fit enough for that.”

Sly was pleased to see the Market Rasen form franked on Sunday when the Willie Mullins-trained Grangee, who was beaten eight and a half lengths in third place, took the Grade Two mares’ bumper at Leopardstown.

“That was all right. She won 59 grand for that and ours was only 11. Their ground looked a bit better than ours,” she added.

“I always thought our filly wanted better ground and I still do.”