As the 2025 edition of the Cheltenham Festival edges ever closer, the headline contests of the Champion Hurdle, the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the Stayers’ Hurdle, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup dominate much of the discussion. With all four races boasting an odds-on favourite, it’s fair to say that this isn’t the most open of years, at least on paper.
However, things rarely go entirely to script at the Cheltenham Festival. Focussing on the opening day highlight, the Champion Hurdle may yet receive a significant jolt of intrigue courtesy of a sensational mare from the yard of Gordon Elliott.
Having initially been expected to take her place in the Mares’ Hurdle – a race for which she is a general price of 2/5 – reports suggest that a tilt at the Champion Hurdle remains on the table for Brighterdaysahead.
Day 1 Feature Could Do with a Boost
Most fans expect Constitution Hill to kick off the week in style for favourite backers in the Champion Hurdle. That wasn’t the case earlier in the campaign. Amidst swirling fitness doubts and subpar gallops, the unbeaten star lost his status as Champion Hurdle favourite, with the Willie Mullins-trained Lossiemouth usurping him at the head of the market.
However, Constitution Hill swept those doubts aside with a stirring return to conquer Lossiemouth in the Christmas Hurdle. Having backed that up with a stroll around Cheltenham in the International Hurdle, he is now into a general 1/2 to reclaim the title he won in 2023.
That’s a short price for a race of this standing, but a scroll through the likely opposition makes such skinny odds easy to understand. A potential second favourite, stablemate Sir Gino, seemed bound for the Arkle before being withdrawn due to injury. Turning to the Irish Challenge, third favourite Lossiemouth lacked the gears to cope with a rusty Constitution Hill at Kempton; State Man finished nine lengths behind Constitution Hill in 2023, and the highly touted Anzadam is out for the season.
Whilst there is no such thing as an easy race at the Cheltenham Festival, Constitution Hill does appear to hold sway over those closest to him in the market. As such, the presence of Brighterdaysahead would add significantly to the opening day feature.
Marvelous Mare the Most Realistic Challenger?
Brighterdaysahead certainly boasts an appealing profile for the Champion Hurdle challenge. Arriving at Cheltenham 2024 riding a wave of hype and excellent displays, she lost her unbeaten record when second in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle. However, she was soon back on track when claiming the Grade 1 Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree in supreme style.
Solid as her 2023/24 efforts were, it is her displays from the current campaign which have increased the Champion Hurdle noise. A victory of just short of four lengths at Down Royal on her seasonal return was good, and a thrilling verdict over State Man in the Morgiana Hurdle was even better. And then came the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Hurdle at Leopardstown.
Sent off as the 5/2 second favourite to State Man, Brighterdaysahead preceded to produce the most jaw-dropping National Hunt performance of the season to date. Taking a lead from trailblazing stablemate King Of Kingsfield for much of the race, the mount of Sam Ewing was already around 15 lengths ahead of State Man on the turn for home. Ordinarily, in a race where the leaders go off so fast, they come back to the field on the run to the line. Not Brighterdaysahead, who improbably found yet another gear to surge fully 30 lengths clear at the line in a simply mesmerising display. If she could do that to the 2024 Champion Hurdle winner, she should surely be bound for the Day 1 feature… shouldn’t she?
Decision Eagerly Awaited
Despite picking up an impressive 40 wins at the Cheltenham Festival, Gordon Elliott has yet to land the Champion Hurdle. However, he has been getting closer in recent years – sending out Zanahiyr to finish third in 2023 and saddling Irish Point to finish second in 2024. Could Brighterdaysahead finally be the one to claim the top spot?
The Cullentra House handler appeared optimistic about that prospect when stating:
“If I run her in the Champion Hurdle, would I have ever had a horse with as good a chance as her? Probably not.”
Mares’ Hurdle or Champion Hurdle? We will have to wait a little longer to find out. Elliott suggested that the decision is still a few weeks away:
“We won’t be making a decision until the week beforehand. We don’t need to make it until then. But, look, we’ll be straight out and say it. We won’t leave it until the 11th hour to make a decision. We’ll make it the week before just to let everyone know.”
Few could blame Elliott and Gigginstown House Stud if they opted for the easier mares’ race. However, most in the racing community will hope they take the brave decision and set up what may be one of the most mouthwatering clashes of the festival.
