Eile fine after Dundalk triumph

John Queally reports Al Eile to be fighting fit after his impressive victory on the all-weather at Dundalk on Friday night.

The nine-year-old had been off the track since winning his third Aintree Hurdle back in April of last year after suffering a setback earlier in the campaign, but he looked as good as ever as he strode clear under Fran Berry to win cosily.

All roads now lead back to Merseyside as he bids to emulate the great Morley Street – the only horse to have won the Aintree Hurdle on four occasions.

“He’s 100% this morning and we are just heading off to the beach with the three runners from last night, as we always do, to have a walk,” said Queally.

“We were over the moon with him at Dundalk. He finished a close seventh in that race last year and I was an extremely happy man, so you can imagine how I was last night.

“I knew he would run a respectable race as he always goes well fresh and it is just a bonus he won. He was very sharp on the night.

“Aintree would be the target now and we can just build him up again slowly for that. It would be brilliant if he could do it again as he would be emulating a great horse in Morley Street.”