Brighterdaysahead poised to make fencing bow next week

Brighterdaysahead is in line to make her chasing debut at the Navan Racing Festival.

Gordon Elliott’s mare produced one of the standout performances of last season when winning at Leopardstown over Christmas by 30 lengths, with State Man toiling in her wake.

She failed to reproduce that level in two subsequent outings but will now get the chance to show what she can do over the larger obstacles, which connections have always insisted would be her best discipline.

She has two options over the two days of November 15 and 16, but at this stage the shorter Pat Shiels Memorial Irish EBF Beginners Chase on the second afternoon looks more likely.

“Brighterdaysahead and Wingmen will be split up in the novice chases between the two-mile-one and the two and a half,” said Elliott’s assistant Lisa O’Neill.

“I hope the season is exciting for her, I saw her schooling over fences last week and she was very, very good. We saw what she was capable of last season, I know it petered out and didn’t finish the way we wanted it to but she’s in good form and has strengthened up.

“I think she might start off over two-mile-one, but we’ll factor in ground and opposition. You know beginners chases at Navan are always going to be strong, though.”

The Troytown meeting is always one Elliott likes to target and he will send a huge team over the two days.

“Over the two days we might have approximately 40-45. Gordon loves Navan,” said O’Neill, speaking a gallops morning to promote the meeting.

“We’ve 11 entered in the Troytown and as far as I’m aware we’ll run everything that gets in.

“Pied Piper ran a cracker at Cheltenham the last day when maybe he didn’t quite get up the hill so dropping down a furlong will help him, he’s got a big chance.

“Better Days Ahead has plenty of weight but is the class horse in the race, while we all saw what Three Card Brag did at Cheltenham. At the other end of the weights Beaufort Scale must have a good chance.”

Stablemates Wodhooh and Teahupoo galloped at Navan but will wait for the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse rather than run in the Lismullen Hurdle at Navan.