Brighterdaysahead pencilled in for post-racing workout at Navan on Sunday

Brighterdaysahead is being readied for a post-racing workout at Navan on Sunday, with connections set to delay a decision on her Cheltenham Festival target until the week before the showpiece meeting.

Gordon Elliott’s mare has enjoyed a tremendous season so far, winning on her Down Royal comeback before inflicting successive defeats on the reigning Champion Hurdle hero State Man, including a 30-length demolition at Leopardstown over the Christmas period.

Having sidestepped last weekend’s Irish Champion Hurdle, which State Man won for the third time, Brighterdaysahead will head straight for the Cotswolds in March – but whether she bids for glory in the Champion Hurdle or takes the perceived easier option of the Mares’ Hurdle remains to be seen.

Elliott said: “She’s in good form, Shane McCann who rides her out every day is very happy with her and she’s actually going to do a bit of work after racing on Sunday, just to get her a day away on grass.

“We’ll leave a decision on Cheltenham as late as we can, but we’re not going to leave it until the Sunday morning. We’ll be fair to everyone and make a decision the week before and let everyone know.

“We’ll run her in whatever the right race is for the mare, whether that’s the Champion Hurdle or the Mares’ Hurdle. I’d love to win a Champion Hurdle and I could be a long time waiting to get a mare like her again, but there’ll be no decision just yet.

“The mares’ race possibly looks the easier race, but a lot can happen in four or five weeks with horses, so you have to see what happens to the opposition and then we’ll weigh it up.”

Brighterdaysahead has been beaten only once in 10 career starts so far, at last year’s Cheltenham Festival when denied by Golden Ace as an odds-on favourite for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle.

Elliott, though, has no fears about a return to Prestbury Park for a mare he has held in the highest regard from the day he first set eyes on her.

Reflecting on last year’s reverse, he added: “On the day, I couldn’t believe she got beat. Going in, I thought she was my banker for the week – and with what she’s done since, she probably looks like she should have been, but I blame myself for it, as we got the tactics wrong.

“It was a long week until the Stayers’ Hurdle after that. I think we had six seconds before we won the Stayers’ Hurdle with Teahupoo, but that’s the game we’re in, isn’t it?

“It’s hard to say she’s the best I’ve ever had because you’ve got a lot of horses that don’t even make the track for whatever reason, but I mightn’t have had too many better than her.

“Apple’s Jade wasn’t fancy but she was very, very tough and had a big heart. This mare has a big heart, but she’s got probably a bit more class, if I’m being honest.

“Michael (O’Leary, owner) always buys them to go chasing, but if she went and won a Champion Hurdle by 10 lengths, then you’d have a decision to make, wouldn’t you?”

Whatever the ultimate call is on her target, the Cullentra handler is in no doubt which horse poses the biggest threat to his stable star if she does get the Champion go-ahead, saying: “You can’t be anything but impressed with Constitution Hill and you have to have the utmost respect for him. He’s probably the one that we all have to beat.”