Brighterdaysahead (13/8 favourite) gave Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy a Grade 1 double at Aintree this afternoon as the seven-year-old mare won the William Hill Aintree Hurdle.
The win, completed a near 15/1 double for the Cullentra House team as Brighterdaysahead won the two and a half mile contest by defeating The New Lion (9/4) by two and a quarter lengths.
The winning hander, Gordon Elliott, admitted post-race:
“This is probably her trip and she was awesome. I was nervous but it was kind of easy to watch and Jack was brilliant on her. It’s great for everyone at Gigginstown who have been massive supporters of mine, through thick and thin.
“She’s a good mare and that’s why she wins over two miles, but I think two and a half is probably her trip. I’d imagine she’s going to go chasing. She was supposed to go this year but she pulled a muscle and that’s why she didn’t. She hasn’t won at Cheltenham but she ran a great race there this year.”
The winning rider, Kerryman, Jack Kennedy, was very please with the result, stating:
“Unreal. I think that could be as good as she’s been. The extra half a mile suited her, a little bit of juice in the ground suited her and she was brilliant. I was happy the whole way – I was actually having to take her back everywhere, and she’s one that when you don’t have her fully switched off she can run with you a bit, but she was just doing everything so easy and I let her on at the back of the fourth last. Potters Corner had a slow jump and I winged it, and I was happy to take up the running there and she was good. She’s a great mare.”
