Brighterdaysahead shows class in Aintree Hurdle
Brighterdaysahead and Jack Kennedy win the Aintree Hurdle (Grade 1) for owner Gigginstown House Stud and trainer Gordon Elliott with groom Sinead O'Brien. Pic: Healy Racing
Brighterdaysahead relished the step up in trip to showcase her best once again on Merseyside and secure William Hill Aintree Hurdle glory.
Gordon Elliott’s star mare had secured top honours over this course and distance as a novice in 2024 but has since predominantly raced over shorter where she has been one of the standout performers in the two-mile hurdling division.
After coming off second best in another tussle with Lossiemouth in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, she was sent off the 13-8 favourite to gain compensation in the hands of Jack Kennedy and was always towards the fore alongside Potters Charm.
Having led the runners into the home straight and over three flights from home, Dan Skelton’s The New Lion emerged on the scene looking a real danger in the hands of the trainer’s brother, Harry.
However, a costly error at the last put paid to his chances allowing Brighterdaysahead to scoot clear for a two-and-a-quarter-length success in what could turn out to be her hurdling swansong.
Elliott said: “She’s the apple of all our eyes. We’re rebuilding, we’re trying to find a few more of these and in fairness to Michael (O’Leary, owner) he’s investing but it just might take a bit longer.
“I think two and a half miles probably is her trip. I’d say we’re probably going to go chasing, she’s a good mare which is why she can win over two miles.
“She was supposed to go chasing this year, she was entered up but pulled a muscle which is why she didn’t run but she’ll probably go next year.
“I don’t think there’s anything in the Cheltenham thing, she hasn’t won there but she ran a great race in the Champion this year and hopefully the best is yet to come.”
Elliott is leading the race to be champion trainer in Ireland but was winning his second Grade One of the afternoon in the UK, which has likely weakened his hand for the upcoming Punchestown Festival.
“To be honest I’m lucky to be in the position I’m in, I’ve been second to Willie Mullins 13 times now. I think I’m still three or four years off and to be in the same sentence as him is great, but I’m a long way off beating him yet,” said Elliott.
Of The New Lion, Skelton said: “I’m not crestfallen, just a bit frustrated we didn’t get a (good) jump at the last.
“If we’d got a jump at the last and couldn’t get by the winner then fair play. I wish we’d jumped it a bit better and had our fair chance, but that’s sport and it didn’t quite work for us. We’ll dust ourselves down and go again next year.
“He’s run a solid race and he’s a bit happier at that trip. I’m not discounting the fact that he is a good two-miler, but he obviously is a little happier at that trip.
“There are no excuses as he travelled well and jumped great bar the last. Harry felt he had every chance, he stopped short of saying he’d definitely have won as you’re giving Brighterdaysahead 7lb and she’s danced all those dances and knows how to win, but that jump at the last has cost us a chance of winning.
“I think he’s very comfortable at two miles, especially on slow ground against UK opposition. There is a shortage of races over the intermediate trip and maybe he steps right up in trip, I don’t know.
“I said to JP (McManus, owner) ‘I’m sorry we didn’t win you a Grade One this year’ as he is a Grade One horse.
“At the moment we’ll stick to hurdling (next season). We’ll have a bit of a talk about it over the summer and see what everyone fancies doing. It hasn’t crossed my mind to go chasing, but there’s a discussion to be had if everyone wants to have it.
“I feel like we’ve got unfinished business. Next year everyone is a year older, except his year older isn’t too old. Maybe there are lessons to be learned and we go again next year.”
Meanwhile, Koktail Divin bounced back from defeat at Cheltenham as Lulamba came unstuck in the William Hill Manifesto Novices’ Chase at Aintree.
Ridden by Darragh O’Keeffe for Henry de Bromhead, the 3-1 chance raced handily throughout in a field of five, in which Nicky Henderson’s Lulamba was the 1-2 favourite.
However, Lulamba and Nico de Boinville parted company at the 10th fence, and while 22-1 shot Blueking d’Oroux led he had Brown Advisory non-stayer Koktail Divin in his slipstream and it was the latter who pressed on to prevail by two and a quarter lengths.
De Bromhead said: “That’s a great start. Darragh was brilliant on him, I thought they went a real good gallop and he jumps amazing.
“I think he might have been idling a bit and I was starting to get a bit worried, but then he began to pick up again, he was relentless the whole way really.
“We really fancied him at Cheltenham over three miles and turning in I thought he looked the winner, but he clearly didn’t get home.
“He won’t go to Punchestown now, I was even a little bit apprehensive bringing him here after Cheltenham. It will be next year when you see him again, maybe at Down Royal in the race for second-season novices.”
Paul Nicholls said of the runner-up, who did his best in rallying against the winner: “It was an unbelievable run considering he made a crucial mistake three out.
“He’s getting better now he’s jumping better, he’s more assured and I think a step up to three miles next year will suit him.
“The only race he could run in before the end of the season is at Sandown, but I’d say he’s done enough.
“Next season I think he’ll improve again.”
Henderson was left cursing a lack of options after Lulamba finished the race fit and fresh – albeit without De Boinville in the saddle.
He said: “He’s so fresh, but we’ve got nowhere to go have we?
“I didn’t put him in anything at Punchestown because there isn’t a race for him, you’ve only got two miles or three miles.
“He’s as fresh as anything and he actually won the race – he sprinted up the run-in. Unfortunately there wasn’t a jockey on his back.”
