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Star mare set for rematch with Champion Hurdle hero at Leopardstown over Christmas.
The Gordon Elliott-trained Brighterdaysahead looks likely to take on State Man once more in the December Hurdle at Leopardstown as the Cullentra House-based handler plots his route to the Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Hailed as one of the Irish bankers of the Festival by many last season, Gordon Elliott's mare found Golden Ace too strong in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at Prestbury Park but quickly proved she was more than up to Grade 1 company when landing the Mersey Novices' Hurdle in impressive style at Aintree a month later.
The five-year-old returned with a smooth success in the Grade 3 Bottlegreen Hurdle at Down Royal this season before battling back to defeat last season's Champion Hurdle hero in the Grade 1 Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown last month.
Brighterdaysahead and State Man now look set to renew their rivalry on the 28th at Leopardstown, before Elliott eyes a crack at the two-and-a-half-mile Mares' Hurdle at the Festival.
Speaking on Sky Sports Racing, Elliott said: "She's in at Leopardstown, she's in the two and the three mile (races). The plan is two, but we never say never, so we'll leave her in everything and have a chat with Michael and Eddie (O'Leary, owners) and see what we do,"
"I'd imagine we'll head for the two-mile race; we'll have to take on State Man again and he'd be very hard to beat, but it's the obvious route for us to go and then onto the Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham, all being well."
On his thinking for favouring the Mares' Hurdle, Elliott admitted he is keen to avoid Willie Mullins' Lossiemouth, who is currently a general 7/4 favourite for the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
"There's a mare called Lossiemouth…I'm a big believer in running in the races you can win," he explained.
"If I'm at Cheltenham on the Tuesday after winning the Mares' Hurdle and she won 10 lengths and something happened to Lossiemouth or State Man, you'd be a bit disappointed – but at the same time, the ideal race for her looks the Mares' Hurdle.
"We don't really know how good she is, she doesn't do anything at home, and she doesn't even do anything fancy in a race, but she just keeps winning and she's got a big heart – you'd have to love her."
The trainer also provided an update on the promising novice chaser Better Days Ahead. Last year's Martin Pipe winner went on to finish third behind Dancing City in Grade 1 company at Punchestown in May and looked a natural over fences when defeating Supreme Novices' Hurdle hero Slade Steel on his chasing debut at Navan last month.
A step up to Grade 1 company over fences now beckons."He'll go for the three-miler at Leopardstown, he did it very well in Navan the last day," said Elliott. "The Martin Pipe is a great stepping stone for those horses, and he looked a big chaser in the making. We'll go for the three miles in Leopardstown and hope the ground won't be too quick."
