Elliott delays chasing debut for Brighterdaysahead

Brighterdaysahead will not make her chasing debut this weekend as previously planned after suffering a minor setback – but Gordon Elliott insists the injury to State Man will not change his plan to head over the larger obstacles with his star mare.

The six-year-old narrowly beat the Willie Mullins-trained State Man in the Morgiana Hurdle at Punchestown at the start of last season and then beat him easily when following up at Leopardstown over the Christmas period.

She disappointed in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham, which State Man would likely have won but for falling at the final flight, and then failed to fire on her final outing of the campaign at Punchestown.

Elliott revealed over the summer that she would go chasing this term, but while she held entries at Navan on Saturday and Sunday, her reappearance will be delayed.

Speaking on the Nick Luck Daily podcast, the Cullentra handler said: “We’re just going to wait another week or two, we just missed a bit of work. She was a little bit tight after schooling, but she’s fine and you’ll hopefully see at Fairyhouse in two weeks’ time. It’s nothing serious.

“She was bought to be a chaser and she looks like a chaser. Her schooling had been very good. She was just a little bit tight, as can happen, so we said we’d give her all the time she needs.”

When asked whether news of State Man being out for the season after suffering a tendon injury could make him consider heading back down the Champion Hurdle route with Brighterdaysahead, Elliott added: “No, she’ll definitely go chasing. It’s not even a thought.”