Cashman eyes Down Royal Grade 3 for Sheer Liss Paul Cashman has the Grade 3 mares' novices' hurdle at Down Royal in October as a long-term target for Sheer Liss. The five-year-old got off the mark in a deep mares' bumper at the same track on Friday. Five former winners contested the race, but Cashman's Shirocco mare stayed on best to take the honours by a length and a half after making the long journey north. "She was unlucky in her point-to-points, but we knew she was a nice filly. She is a good, slick jumper after a season point-to-pointing, and we are hoping she will take to hurdles," the County Cork trainer said. "We have time to look for a maiden hurdle and, if she was to win that, the Grade 3 in Down Royal would be in the back of my mind. "The break (after point-to-pointing) has done her the power of good. She has got stronger and is improving all the time which can happen with fillies. "She is fairly versatile in terms of ground - she just wouldn't want extremes either way." Sheer Liss is a half-sister to Just Janice who won the Grade 3 mares' novices' hurdle in Down Royal for John Kiely in 2017.
