Al Eile Set To Reappear In Commhoist Logistics Champion Hurdle Trial

Dungarvan-based trainer John Queally is looking forward to getting his stable star, Al Eile, back on the racetrack and is favouring a tilt at the £50,000 Grade Two Commhoist Logistics Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock Park on Saturday, January 21.

The six-year-old gelding, a Grade One winner at Aintree last season, has not been seen out since finishing third behind Cruzspiel in the Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot at York on June 18 and will use the Haydock Park contest as a stepping-stone for Cheltenham, where he is likely to contest either the Champion Hurdle, in which he finished seventh last year, or the World Hurdle.

Queally revealed: 'Al Eile is an intended runner at Haydock Park - there is a bit of a concern over the heavy ground, as he prefers a better surface, but we´ve got to go somewhere with him for his seasonal debut, and there aren´t too many opportunities for the horse.

'It has been the plan to run him in the Commhoist Logistics Champion Hurdle Trial for a while, with a view to then running him at Newbury maybe before we go to Cheltenham. He has not run this season as he came back a bit sore from the Royal meeting at York, but we´ve given him plenty of time to get over it.

'He´s in the Champion Hurdle and the World Hurdle and we´ll make a decision on which race to go for nearer the time. I would also like to go for the Aintree Hurdle, which he won last year [beating Inglis Drever] as the track there suits him really well.

'He´ll definitely benefit from the run, and he´s up against race-fit rivals, although saying that he is very well. A day is a long time in the life of a racehorse and we´re just happy that he´s ready to return to action.'

Other leading contenders for the two-mile contest include the Howard Johnson-trained Arcalis, winner of last season´s Supreme Novices´ Hurdle at Cheltenham and victorious on his seasonal debut in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on November 26.

Nicky Richards could be represented by Faasel, third behind Harchibald in the Bula Hurdle at Cheltenham last month and a Grade One winner at Aintree last season while Royal Shakespeare from the Steve Gollings yard and winner of the Elite Hurdle at Wincanton in November, is another possible. The Sue Smith-trained Mister McGoldrick was second in this race last year and could revert to hurdling following success in the Castleford Chase at Wetherby on December 27.

The field is completed by Bob Justice, the second of Howard Johnson´s two entries, Roger Brookhouse´s Leo´s Luckyman, the Dr Philip Pritchard-trained Milligan, and Overstrand, trained by Robert Gray.