Monday brought the news all racing fans wanted to hear. Following a will she or won’t she debate amongst punters, Gordon Elliott confirmed that his star mare, Brighterdaysahead, will lock horns with Constitution Hill in the Unibet Champion Hurdle.
Those turning into the Prestbury Park showstoppers hope to see the best tackling the best, particularly in the four championship contests. As such, credit goes to Elliott and Giggingstown House Stud for targeting the big one rather than the preceding Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle, which many viewed as a penalty kick for the rapidly improving daughter of Kapgarde.
Elliott’s Best Chance Yet?
With 40 Cheltenham Festival winners, Elliott is no stranger to success at the biggest meeting of the year. Those victories include two in the Stayers Hurdle (2023, 2024) and one in the Cheltenham Gold Cup (2018), but the 2m championships of the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Champion Hurdle have so far eluded the Cullentra House handler.
The 47-year-old has come close in the Champion Hurdle, with Mick Jazz finishing third in 2018 and Irish Point going down by 1¼l when second to State Man in the 2024 edition. However, neither of those runners arrived at Cheltenham with the profile of Brighterdaysahead. When summing up the decision to tackle the tougher target, Elliott stated:
“After discussing it with Michael and Eddie [O’Leary], we’re going to go for the Champion Hurdle with Brighterdaysahead. None of us have won the Champion Hurdle before, and we feel this is probably our best chance yet. Jack Kennedy has always been her biggest fan, and he will ride her.”
Near Flawless Record at the Track
Elliott has never hidden the regard in which he holds Brighterdaysahead, with the noise from the yard suggesting that this was no ordinary mare from a very early stage. Whilst not all highly touted runners deliver on the hype, it’s fair to say that this €310,000 purchase has lived up to expectations.
| Date | Race | Course | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18th Feb ’23 | Mares Flat Race | Gowran | 1st |
| 9th Apr ’23 | Bumper | Fairyhouse | 1st |
| 19th Oct ’23 | Maiden Hurdle | Thurles | 1st |
| 10th Nov ’23 | Mares Novice Hurdle | Down Royal | 1st |
| 11th Feb ’24 | Mares Novice Hurdle | Navan | 1st |
| 14th Mar ’24 | Dawn Run Hurdle | Cheltenham | 2nd |
| 13th Apr ’24 | Mersey Novices’ Hurdle | Aintree | 1st |
| 1st Nov ’24 | Bottlegreen Hurdle | Down Royal | 1st |
| 23rd Nov ’24 | Morgiana Hurdle | Punchestown | 1st |
| 29th Dec ’24 | Neville Hotels Hurdle | Leopardstown | 1st |
Kicking off with a 13l stroll in a Gowran Park bumper, she ended her debut campaign with a perfect two-from-two record. Sent over hurdles in 2023/24, she scored in Maiden, Grade 3 and Listed company before suffering her sole defeat when finding only Golden Ace too good in the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The fact that her only loss came in her only outing at this track is a slight cause for concern. However, all the evidence suggests that she has improved significantly since. Breaking her Grade 1 duck with a 7½l romp in the Turners Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at the Aintree Grand National Meeting, she headed into her summer break with her reputation restored.
Returning in November to claim the Grade 3 Bottlegreen Hurdle, she followed up with a battling success over State Man in the Morgiana Hurdle. And then came the Neville Hotels Hurdle at Leopardstown on 29th December, and a performance which remains the most staggering of the season to date.
Once again locking horns with the reigning Champion Hurdler State Man, Brighterdaysahead treated that Willie Mullins runner and her other unfortunate rivals with disdain en route to an incredible 30l success. Rarely will you see a top-tier event won with such authority, and on the back of that display, it’s easy to see why connections believe they may have a champion hurdler on their hands.
The Latest Mare to Claim the Title?
When weighing up which race to go for, it seems reasonable to assume that the exceptional recent records of mares in the Champion Hurdle may have helped sway the decision.
The subject of the 7lbs mares weight allowance in Grade 1 events remains controversial, but Annie Power (2016), Epatante (2020), and Honeysuckle (2021 & 2022) all took maximum advantage to claim the biggest prize of the 2m hurdle year. Could Brighterdaysahead do the same?
Henderson and Hill Stand in Her Way
Brighterdaysahead looks to have plenty in her favour ahead of her Champion Hurdle tilt. However, the most significant obstacle she must overcome hails from the yard of Nicky Henderson and goes by the name of Constitution Hill, who, in the words of Elliott, is “one of the best hurdlers we have ever seen.”
Now seemingly over his health issues, the 2023 champ has picked up the Christmas Hurdle and International Hurdle this season, to extend his record under rules to 10 wins from as many outings – including eight in Grade 1 company. Sitting on a rating of 175, he still has 5lb in hand on the 163-rated Brighterdaysahead once the mares’ allowance is factored in. However, there are those who suggest Constitution Hill may not be quite the horse he was following his extensive absence. Should any chinks in his armour emerge, Elliott and Kennedy may have the mare to take advantage. A fascinating clash awaits and we cannot wait!
