Gordon Elliott has confirmed his star mare Brighterdaysahead will stay over hurdles for the 2024/25 jumps season, with the Mares’ Hurdle on the Cheltenham Pageant in her sights.
In an unique secure tour for attheraces.com, Elliott revealed his workforce had thought of going over fences with their Grade One Mersey Novices’ Hurdle winner, however will as an alternative follow the smaller obstacles, with a return date set for the start of November.
Brighterdaysahead gained 4 of her 5 begins final season, crushed solely by Golden Ace within the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle on the 2024 Cheltenham Pageant.
“We strongly considered sending her novice chasing, but the decision is made, and she’ll stay hurdling,” Elliott stated. “She’ll start back in the Jezki Hurdle at Down Royal on November 1.
“She seems to be to be an apparent candidate for the Mares’ Hurdle on the Cheltenham Pageant in the long term.
“We’ve never hidden how highly we regard her, and we can’t wait to get her back on the track. We think the world of her.”
In the meantime, it’s enterprise as common for Elliott’s Stayers’ Hurdle hero Teahupoo because the seven-year-old follows a well-recognized path to the Cheltenham Pageant in March.
“We took a view on what sort of campaign would suit him best last season and it worked out well, so we’ll do the same again this season,” Elliott stated.
“He’ll start in the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle and then be kept fresh for the Stayers’ Hurdle. He’s still only a seven-year-old and if we can keep him right he could be on top of this division for a few years yet.”
Gold Cup runner-up Gerri Colombe will even head down the identical route because the earlier marketing campaign, beginning with Down Royal’s Champion Chase subsequent month.
“All being well he’ll go the same route as he did last season,” Elliott stated. “He showed himself to be a top-class chaser when finishing a very good second in the Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival and it makes sense to try and get him back there again.”
