Brighterdaysahead bypasses Aintree Hurdle outing

Brighterdaysahead will sidestep a potential clash with Constitution Hill and Lossiemouth in the William Hill Aintree Hurdle and instead be saved for the Punchestown Festival.

Gordon Elliott’s mare claimed a Grade One double earlier this season in the Morgiana Hurdle and the Neville Hotels Hurdle, when scoring by 30 lengths in spectacular fashion, but was below par in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, fading out to finish a distant fourth behind Golden Ace.

Eddie O’Leary of owners Gigginstown House Stud said: “Gordon tells us she’s in very good form at home but he wants to give her a bit more time after the last day.

“We’ll skip Aintree and go to Punchestown now instead and all being well she’ll go for the mares’ Grade One over two and a half miles (Mares Champion Hurdle).

“We’re going to going to go chasing with her next year, so this will give her the time she needs and hopefully she’ll run well at Punchestown.

“That wasn’t her in Cheltenham, we hope we’ll see the real her again at Punchestown. It’s the wrong way round for her but at least it’s two and a half miles.”