Brighterdaysahead to Take on Constitution Hill in Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham Festival

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The Champion Hurdle showdown everyone wanted is on after Gordon Elliott revealed Brighterdaysahead will take on Constitution Hill in a pulsating clash at the Cheltenham Festival. The superstar six-year-old will take on the boys in the opening-day highlight, rather than sticking to mares' company, following discussions between Elliott and Gigginstown's Michael and Eddie O'Leary. Nicky Henderson, trainer of Constitution Hill, has welcomed the decision, predicting it will lead to a good gallop, a scenario he feels will suit Michael Buckley's unbeaten hurdler perfectly.

Bookmakers reacted by shortening Brighterdaysahead into 7-4 and pushing Constitution Hill out to a general 4-6 to reclaim his title, while the Mares' Hurdle market has also been impacted, with Lossiemouth now odds-on to repeat last year's win. Elliott told the Racing Post that none of them has won the Champion Hurdle before and they feel this is probably their best chance yet. Jack Kennedy has always been her biggest fan and he will ride her. Brighterdaysahead exploded on to the Champion Hurdle scene with a 30-length victory in the Neville Hotels Hurdle at Leopardstown over Christmas when 11-time Grade 1 winner State Man was unable to land a glove on her at any stage.

Here are the current odds for the Unibet Champion Hurdle:

• 8-13 Constitution Hill
• 7-4 Brighterdaysahead
• 4 Lossiemouth
• 6 State Man
• 25 Burdett Road, Golden Ace
• 40 King Of Kingsfield
• 50 Winter Fog, Brentford Hope
• 150 Senecia

The decision has also had implications for the Mares' Hurdle, which this year is run one race before the Champion, with last year's winner Lossiemouth still in both races. Cal Gildart of Ladbrokes said that Willie Mullins said that Lossiemouth is a Champion Hurdle mare after she won last year’s Mares’ Hurdle, but following her fall at Leopardstown and the Brighterdaysahead news, the odds suggest another Mares’ might be her Cheltenham destiny in 2025.

The going quickened at Cheltenham slightly to soft, good to soft in places. No rain has fallen since last Thursday and the forecast is dry until Friday. Mares have a cracking record in the Champion Hurdle over the last decade. Annie Power landed the spoils in 2016, Epatante did the same in 2020, while Honeysuckle won back-to-back runnings in 2021 and 2022. Brighterdaysahead will be in receipt of 7lb from Constitution Hill and State Man. However, Henderson is delighted with how Constitution Hill's campaign has gone after the challenges of last season, when he was unable to defend the Champion Hurdle, and believes his work at home is "as good as ever". The Cheltenham Festival is set to be an exciting event, with the Champion Hurdle being one of the most anticipated races.

David Ord celebrates the news that Brighterdaysahead will run in the Champion Hurdle, saying thank you to Michael O'Leary, his brother Eddie, Gordon Elliott, and everyone else who contributed to the decision. He believes that if you were ever going to roll the dice in the big one with a horse like Brighterdaysahead then it’s next week. She arrives at Cheltenham three from three this season, her 30-length demolition of Winter Fog and State Man at Leopardstown over Christmas still burning bright in the memory. She’s second in on Timeform ratings, a mere weight-adjusted three pounds shy of Constitution Hill, and a 7/4 second favourite who is shortening all the time.

hurdle cheltenham constitution hill festival brighterdaysahead leary rac champion shorten