It’s the most eagerly awaited decision ahead of the upcoming Cheltenham Festival and that call on whether Brighterdaysahead tackles Constitution Hill in the Unibet Champion Hurdle will be made this week.
Trainer Gordon Elliott and Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary aren’t prepared to leave it to the last minute to decide if their star hurdler goes for championship glory or lines up instead against her own sex in the Close Bros Mares' Hurdle.
“The right race is the Mares' Hurdle. The two-and-a-half-mile trip is the right race. But there’s only one Champion,” Gigginstown Stud’s Eddie O’Leary said on Sunday.
“But it will be done this week. We won’t wait until the last minute. We will get together with Gordon and make our minds up this week. Betting doesn’t bother us but to be fair to everyone we won’t let it roll on into the weekend. At least we’ll be able to see what ground is likely to be etc, etc.”
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It has been the quandary that has consumed racing’s interest ever since her 30-length demolition job at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting.
Immediately after that race, Michael O’Leary somewhat teased his audience by venturing: “I’d go for the Mares’ Hurdle. But ultimately Gordon and Eddie will probably decide, and I’ll be overruled!”
Brighterdaysahead is currently a general 9-4 second favourite for the Champion Hurdle behind the odds-on Constitution Hill. However, she also has an entry in the preceding Grade One on the opening day of the festival, for which she’s a red-hot 8-15 favourite in some ante-post lists.
“To be honest, we haven’t even been talking about it. We’ve just hoped there is a decision to be made. Delta Work was there last week. He isn’t there this week. That’s why we hope there is a decision to be made,” Eddie O’Leary said.
The sole defeat of Brighterdaysahead’s career came at last year’s festival when chinned by Golden Ace in the mares' novice hurdle.
In all, O’Leary’s Gigginstown team has enjoyed 34 festival victories at Cheltenham, with Stellar Story saving the day in 2024 through a 33-1 success in the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle.
One of his other main chances this time is likely to be Kalypso’chance in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper on day two. Unbeaten in two starts, including a Listed contest at Navan in November, he is a 6-1 shot to win a race the O’Learys hold an ambivalent attitude to.
“I wish to God they would change the rules over there and make it just for amateur riders,” Eddie O’Leary commented.
“My problem with the bumper over there is you see good young horses getting frightened. I believe if it was only amateur riders they wouldn’t be under the same pressure. Because to me amateurs wouldn’t be as severe on them as the professionals. But there’s no changing that system now. In Ireland we have professional amateurs, but they don’t’,” he added.
Whether Jack Kennedy will be fit to take up his position as Gordon Elliott’s No 1 rider in time for Cheltenham could also be decided this week. The reigning champion jockey is due to meet his surgeon on Wednesday as he continues his recovery from the sixth broken leg of his career sustained at the end of November.
It was a rather lesser Gigginstown talent, Kish Bank, that had to settle for second behind the gambled-on winner Great Attitude in Saturday’s opener at Fairyhouse.
Backed from prices of as high as 200-1 into 8-1, the newcomer won impressively, and trainer Tom Cleary said: “Was he 200s? – Jeez I missed that! I was told that he was down to eights before the off. My throat is a little bit sore now, we were expecting a good run and it’s a bonus to win it.”
Bookmakers were fearing a massive double on the later bumper runner Sticktotheplan, only for that horse to finish only fifth.
Conditions are likely to be testing at Punchestown’s rescheduled card on Monday where the eight-year-old Toad Hall, trained by Willie Mullins, has just a second career start, almost two years after the first.
Such perseverance by the most powerful operation in the sport looks noteworthy in a race where the €310,000 purchase Familiar Dreams looks the one to beat on her course form behind Maughreen last month.
