‘Unexpected superstar’ Eileendover set to embark on broodmare career

Racing fans may have seen the last of Eileendover on track as Pam Sly reports her “unexpected superstar” has suffered a setback and will now be covered by Bated Breath.

The five-year-old was set to appear in the Bronte Cup at York, but missed the race having knocked her leg and with the injury set to keep her out of action for some time, a date with the Group One-winning sprinter is now on the agenda for the daughter of Canford Cliffs.

“She just knocked her leg, that is why she didn’t go to York,” explained Sly.

“I would say she will be on the sidelines a while, so I’m going to get her covered by Bated Breath rather than wait a year and you don’t really know how long it will be.

“She’s not lame or anything, those sort of things just take a while to heal and there’s only time that does it. I’m sure everything will go all right and she’s been a totally unexpected superstar.”

Eileendover won four times in an 11-race cross-code career, with the highlight coming when sauntering to Listed success in the Alan Swinbank Mares’ bumper at Market Rasen in 2021.

She was fourth of 15 when sent off the evens favourite for a Grade Two at Aintree’s Grand National meeting later that year and in what is likely to have been her final racecourse outing, she finished third of four behind Trueshan in the Further Flight Stakes at Nottingham.

Sly continued: “It will probably (be the end of her racing career), she’s five now and she’s got her bits of black type thank heavens, but I was mortified to miss the race the other day (York) because we had beaten the second mare in the past, but that’s racing.”