Gordon Elliott has decided against a trip to Aintree with Brighterdaysahead, opting instead to target Punchestown after disappointment at Cheltenham.
The mare, co-owned by Michael and Eddie O’Leary, ended an eventual fourth in the latest renewal of the Champion Hurdle on March 11 having failed to justify the confidence of connections who swerved the Mares’ Hurdle in favour of opposing Constitution Hill.
In the race, Jack Kennedy’s mount struggled to assert herself on the contest and never threatened the top three even after State Man fell when far clear at the final hurdle, putting the Grade One title up for grabs.
Brighterdaysahead had been entered to run alongside Constitution Hill and Lossiemouth, but those plans have been abandoned with Punchestown now the sole final test on the agenda for 2024-25.
Speaking to the Racing Post, Elliott said: “Aintree is just coming too soon for Brighterdaysahead, unfortunately. She wasn’t herself in the Champion Hurdle. It just wouldn’t be the right thing to do for her to travel over to Aintree.
“We will get her ready for Punchestown instead now. There’s a nice break between Cheltenham and Punchestown so we have another few weeks with her and she will either run in the Champion Hurdle or the Mares’ Hurdle there.”
The yard still have Wodhooh in the mix for the Aintree Hurdle on Thursday April 3 after his superb showing in the Martin Pipe on Gold Cup day at the Cheltenham Festival.
