Gordon Elliott commenced the Grand National meeting on Thursday with an impressive Grade One double at odds of 15-1, and he is now gearing up to field five competitors in Saturday’s Grand National. A victory would secure him a place in the record books as one of the most successful trainers in the history of this iconic steeplechase.
The standout moment of Elliott’s day came from Brighterdaysahead, who triumphed over Dan Skelton’s The New Lion by two and a quarter lengths in the Aintree Hurdle. This outcome reaffirmed the performances from the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham last month, where the two horses finished second and third, respectively. Brighterdaysahead also marked a second win at Aintree over the same distance, although she has yet to secure a victory at Cheltenham after three attempts.
Despite this Cheltenham record potentially dampening enthusiasm for her ante-post odds for the March 2027 festival, Brighterdaysahead is set to be an exciting addition to the novice chaser ranks if she transitions to larger obstacles as anticipated next season.
“She’s the apple of all our eyes,” Elliott remarked after the race. “I believe two and a half miles is her distance, and we are likely to move her to chasing next season.” He added, “She had plans to chase this year but suffered a muscle injury, which is why she didn’t participate. I don’t see her Cheltenham record as a significant issue; she performed admirably in the Champion this year, and we are hopeful the best is yet to come.”
Skelton, on the other hand, reflected on a missed opportunity with The New Lion, whose jump at the final flight fell short, leaving him unable to catch Brighterdaysahead on the flat.
“I’m not devastated, just a bit frustrated that we didn’t get the jump we needed at the last,” Skelton stated. “Had we cleared it well and still couldn’t pass the winner, I would accept that. It’s just unfortunate how it turned out. I feel there’s more to achieve, and next year everyone will be a year older, which could work in our favor.”
Last year, Willie Mullins swept all four Grade One events on the opening day, leading to a successful title defense as National Hunt trainer. However, this year he faced a setback, with Koktail Divin from Henry de Bromhead’s stable and Nicky Henderson’s Jango Baie winning the Manifesto Novice Chase and the Racing Welfare Bowl, respectively, while Mullins’s Selma De Vary was narrowly defeated by Elliott’s Mange Tout in the juvenile hurdle.
Koktail Divin secured a decisive victory following the mid-race exit of the 1-2 favorite, Lulamba, who unseated jockey Nico de Boinville at the 10th fence, marking a disappointing pattern for favorites in Grade One events at both Cheltenham and Aintree.
“He’s feeling very fresh, but unfortunately, we have no races lined up for him,” Henderson commented after the race. “I didn’t enter him in anything at Punchestown at the end of April because there weren’t any suitable races. He won comfortably today, but sadly, there wasn’t a jockey on board to guide him.”
However, Henderson and De Boinville experienced a turnaround in the Bowl, where Jango Baie, who finished as a runner-up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, capitalized on Mullins’s Impaire Et Passe, who fell heavily at the penultimate fence. Fortunately, both horse and rider, Paul Townend—who will ride I Am Maximus, likely the favorite for the National—were unharmed.
“It was tough for Nico, especially after the incident with Lulamba, and then having to jump straight into another Grade One,” Henderson said. “His ability to bounce back speaks volumes about him as a Grade One jockey. The King George and the Gold Cup are the two major races we are eyeing for him next season.”
The lineup for the Grand National will include two horses from the reserve list, as both Nick Rockett, last year’s champion trained by Willie and Patrick Mullins, and Spillane’s Tower, a competitor in the Bowl, were withdrawn on Thursday.
Elliott’s Pied Piper was briefly promoted to the final field in place of Nick Rockett but was soon ruled out by his trainer. Consequently, both Imperial Saint, trained by Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, and Amirite from Henry de Bromhead’s stable, will fill spots in Saturday’s 34-horse lineup.
Aintree will also feature the Topham Handicap Chase, a significant betting event on the second day. Many bettors are eyeing Dan Skelton’s Madara as a strong contender at around 9-2, following an impressive victory in the Plate Handicap Chase at Cheltenham last month.
Madara demonstrated superior travel and jumping skills, finishing nearly eight lengths ahead, showcasing the best form available for Friday’s race. However, past performances indicate that horses placing at the festival have struggled in the Topham, with only two wins from 36 entries since 2003, and the last four festival winners failing to finish in the top ten.
This statistic suggests that Madara may not offer good value at his odds, and an each-way bet on a competitor that bypassed the festival could be more prudent. Gentlemen De Mee, last year’s victor, is one option, but Henry de Bromhead’s Coming Up Easy, priced around 14-1, also merits consideration.
The eight-year-old’s jumping faltered when he was pulled up in his last race, but he remains a viable candidate moving forward.
