Gordon Elliott hopes his Aintree team can improve on Cheltenham Festival results

Looking back at events at Prestbury Park, where Elliott had just the one winner with Wodhooh in the Mares’ Hurdle, the Irish trainer says the meeting is getting harder and that he's thinking about how he will tackle it in the future.

Speaking on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast on Friday he said: “We want to try and have winners everywhere. I am very disappointed with the Cheltenham we had this year having only one winner.

“Divisions we’re normally very strong in [we had no joy], handicaps are getting harder, the conditions of races have changed – the Cross Country is now a handicap so it’s a tougher race to win. The National Hunt Chase has now changed to a handicap, another race we were traditionally strong in.

“I still think we need to change things around, we need to improve, and it’s something I’m looking at very strongly.

“Times have changed and we need to change with the times.”

Domestically Elliott has had a fine season and he still leads the way from Willie Mullins in the Irish trainers’ championship, but he’s not confident he’ll go on to win it.

“A lot can change in three or four weeks,” he said. “We’re still in the mix in the Irish trainers’ championship, but I think unless we win the Irish National or are second in it we’ve no real chance. The ammunition Willie has is very strong.”

With Fairyhouse and Punchestown still to come at home, Elliott will be selective with who he sends over to Liverpool for the National meeting, but he does think there’ll be room on the ferry for his two star mares; Brighterdaysahead and Wodhooh.

He said: “I don’t think we’ll have a massive team at Aintree, but we’ll have a few runners every day. She [Brighterdaysahead] ran a great race [in the Champion Hurdle], I think she put all doubts anyone had about her running at Cheltenham behind her. She’s very tough.

“The three options for her are the two-and-a-half mile in Aintree, or three miles in Aintree and then Punchestown, as well. At the moment I’m leaning towards the two-and-a-half.

“Wodhooh will probably go in the two-and-half mile or three mile at Aintree.”

As for his novices, Elliott was unclear over plans.

“They’ll all have entries and we’ll see,” he said. “A lot of our novices came home and were a bit sore and our bumper horses after Cheltenham too.

“For me, that’s the one concern. I’m not saying the ground was too good or too bad, everyone has to make their decision, but for me no horse should come home from Cheltenham sore and that’s the one concern I have."

More from Sporting Life

• Free bets
• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.