Eile on course for Cesarewitch

John Queally has high hopes Al Eile will have a second crack at the totesport.com Cesarewitch at Newmarket on October 17th.

The classy hurdler, handed 8st 10lb in the weights published on Wednesday, was fourth behind Leg Spinner in 2007 but missed last year's race through injury.

"As things stand, Al Eile will hopefully line up in the Cesarewitch - he's going to be making his seasonal comeback at around that time and it's a race that we would very much like to run him in," said the County Waterford trainer.

"He ran very well to be fourth in 2007 and we had to miss last season's race because he was injured. He was turned out straight after he ran at the Grand National meeting at Aintree but he is back in work now and I would be hopeful that we can get him to Newmarket.

"He would be racing off a similar mark to the one he ran off two years ago and we would like to think that we could get him back to that level.

"There will be the usual big hurdle races for him afterwards, definitely starting off with the "Fighting Fifth" Hurdle at Newcastle with all roads leading to Aintree."

Queally may also be represented by the five-year-old mare Elyaadi (7st 13lb), who landed a two-mile contest at Wexford in May.

Pat Flynn is another Irish trainer with a fancied contender in the shape of Bahrain Storm (8st 12lb).

The six-year-old, 12-1 second favourite with the sponsors, won twice at the Galway Festival this summer.

Flynn said: "Bahrain Storm is very much on course for the Cesarewitch. He was back up to his racing weight two days after his last race at Galway and we had to run on the Flat there because he was so well in.

"He got away with running off a mark of 98 there and the handicapper left him alone afterwards, which was great. All being well, we will be over for Newmarket and he might have a run between now and then.

"There are a few courses of action open to him and we will see how things pan out between now and mid-October."

The weights are headed by the Andy Turnell-trained Blue Bajan (9st 11lb), while easy York winner Swingkeel (8st 11lb), Chester Cup scorer Daraahem (9st 3lb) and Ebor third Hits Only Vic (9st 5lb) are among the 103 entries.