Brighterdaysahead and The New Lion clash again

Connections of Brighterdaysahead are praying for suitable ground conditions to give their superstar mare the best chance of securing a second victory on Merseyside in the William Hill Aintree Hurdle.

Gordon Elliott’s seven-year-old bagged the first of her four Grade One victories to date when beating the boys in the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle over this course and distance two years ago and she returns after a fine effort in defeat behind a familiar foe in Lossiemouth in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Eddie O’Leary of owners Gigginstown House Stud views the step up from two to two and a half miles as a positive for this season’s Irish Champion Hurdle heroine and is expecting another big performance, provided the Aintree turf has not dried out too much.

He said: “Brighterdaysahead is in good form. I think the forecast is drying, so hopefully there’ll be enough juice in the ground for her.

“She ran her race at Cheltenham. I’d say with the other mare (Lossiemouth) they put the cheekpieces on her and she was very good on the day, but they’re two great mares and we won’t meet her again as we’ll be going chasing next season.

“Going back up in trip isn’t an issue – she wants two and a half and all of it. Hopefully the ground is soft enough for her to show herself.”

While last year’s winner Lossiemouth is not in attendance this time around, Brighterdaysahead will renew rivalry with the three horses that finished immediately behind her at Cheltenham in The New Lion, Alexei and the defending champion Golden Ace.

There was just half a length between Brighterdaysahead and The New Lion in second and third and trainer Dan Skelton is looking forward to the rematch over a trip he know suits his stable star.

“He had a great run in the Champion Hurdle and stepping back up in trip is no negative for him,” said the Ladbrokes ambassador.

“I don’t have any negatives from him at home, he’s had a light campaign and I think he brings lots to the table in this race.

“Hopefully he can go and transfer a good run in the Champion Hurdle to this race, which arguably suits him more. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Alexei ran a career-best to finish fourth in the Champion Hurdle and his trainer Joe Tizzard said: “I think if he’d jumped the last well he’d have been right in among them (Brighterdaysahead and The New Lion) to be honest. I’m looking forward to running him.

“He’ll love the ground. It’s a step up in trip, which is a slight unknown, but around there it should suit him.

“He’s a good traveller and he seems to have come out of Cheltenham well. It’s nice to have a horse in the race.”

Golden Ace was fifth in her bid for back-to-back Champion Hurdles and returns to two and a half miles for the first time since finishing third in the Relkeel Hurdle at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

“It’s not that I think she’s better over this trip, it was more that we ruled it out slightly after she got beaten twice over two and a half last season. I didn’t think she was completely right then though, so it will be very interesting to see her over this trip again,” said trainer Jeremy Scott.

“It’s nearly a Champion Hurdle re-run without the winner so whether the result will be any different I don’t know. It will be a learning curve for us.

“I think it will probably dictate what we will do next year with her because if we’re not competitive over two miles any more we’ll have to explore different things.”

Potters Charm, last seen winning the National Spirit Hurdle at Fontwell in February, bypassed Cheltenham entirely to wait for Aintree.

Willy Twiston-Davies, who trains the gelding in partnership with his father Nigel, said: “We are all set. It has been the plan for a long time and he won a Grade One around the course over two miles (2024 Formby Novices’ Hurdle),

“We’d like it softer, but he handled good ground when he won a Grade Two at Cheltenham so that shouldn’t inconvenience him. I just think when it’s softer it inconveniences others more than him.

“He’s a very talented horse and he looks in great form at home. We are really looking forward to running him.”