Brighterdaysahead on her way to victory at Aintree
Brighterdaysahead wins Turners Mersey Novices' Hurdle full report and free video replay
By Sporting Life
22:19 · SAT April 13, 2024
Gordon Elliott saddled the one-two in the Grade 1 Turners Mersey Novices' Hurdle at Aintree on Saturday with Brighterdaysahead sauntering to a clear-cut success.
The five-year-old mare justified 6/5 favouritism by travelling up strongly under Jack Kennedy and pulling clear of the field, her stablemate Staffordshire Knot best of the rest in second at 20/1, seven-and-half lengths adrift.
The race was made easier by the pre-race defection of Brighterdaysahead's half-brother Caldwell Potter being withdrawn due to an infected foot, delaying his stable debut for Paul Nicholls.
The loss of that horse from the yard hit Elliott hard, but he has a very exciting prospect for the future with Brighterdaysahead who oozed class after her surprise defeat to Golden Ace at the Cheltenham Festival.
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Elliott said: “The horses have been running well week, but we’ve been hitting the crossbar. I said a lot about this mare leading up to Cheltenham and I was gutted coming out of it, but we’re overjoyed today.
“She’s very good, I was nervous before the race because looking at her I thought she looked a bit light across her kidneys, but she showed how special she is.
“We can go wherever we want with her. I’m not going to say the best mare I’ve had because Apple’s Jade was pretty special, but she’s good.
“In this game there are always disappointments, but I look at life totally different now, I just love training winners and I love horses. But to win today is unbelievable.
“I don’t think the trip was the reason she got beat at Cheltenham, I thought she’d win. Willie’s horse (Jade De Grugy) has already come out and won at Fairyhouse. I just think on the day Jack and Paul (Townend) were watching each other and the other horse (Golden Ace) came and did them both.
“She’s gorgeous to look at.”
In third, running a huge race at 50/1, was the Charlie Longsdon-trained Bugise Seagull.
“At 50/1 he wasn’t given a chance, but I knew he was five lengths better than his Sidney Banks run. I felt that would put him on a par with Handstands,” said Longsdon.
“He’s not streetwise enough to run in handicaps and he will be chucked in a field and have a good holiday.
“It’s been a bad season for us, the horses have been ill and then they came back on heavy ground and it’s just not easy to come back from being ill on heavy ground.
“This horse has kept the flag flying for the yard to be brutally honest. Hopefully this is the turn of things to come.”
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