Sweeps likely to swerve festival
John Kiely has once again stressed that the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham is an unlikely target for Sweeps Hill.
Owned by JP McManus, the five-year-old New Zealand-bred created a huge impression when winning at Leopardstown on his debut.
But his trainer believes he lacks the maturity at this stage for a race as keenly contested as the Cheltenham event.
âI was delighted with how he did it, but he will improve with maturity,â said Kiely. âHeâs a young horse, he was only born in November.
âThe fact that JP owns him is a bonus, because he has no need to sell him and he is a very patient man.
âI donât think Cheltenham is a target, though. I donât think heâll be mature enough so we may skip the bumper. I wouldnât want people backing him,â he told At the Races.
Sweeps Hill is currently a general 10-1 chance for the Champion Bumper, a race Ireland has dominated since its inception in 1995.
