Cheltenham Festival: Matt Chapman and Paddy Brennan preview Champion Hurdle clash between Constitution Hill and Brighterdaysahead | Racing News

On Monday morning, the much-anticipated news of Brighterdaysahead’s Cheltenham Festival destination was revealed, with Gordon Elliott’s mare heading for the Champion Hurdle.

The official confirmations followed, with the Gigginstown hopeful duly withdrawn from the Mares’ Hurdle, putting all her proverbial eggs into the basket of the big prize on Tuesday, March 11.

On the Unbridled podcast, Paddy Brennan said: “She was always running, wasn’t she? Obviously Gordon [Elliott], Michael and Eddie [O’Leary] had to have a meeting, but they could have had it two weeks previously. Brighterdaysahead makes this a hell of a race.”

In reply, co-host Matt Chapman said: “It’s great that she’s running but ultimately it makes no difference to the result. There’s a mountain between [her and Constitution Hill], and that mountain is Everest, or Snowdon, or Kilimanjaro.”

In all, eight stood their ground for the day one feature at the confirmations stage. Constitution Hill looks set to go off favourite, followed in the market by Brighterdaysahead and Lossiemouth – who still holds an entry for the Mares’ Hurdle on the same day.

Talking up Brighterdaysahead’s chances, Brennan said: “It will be a fascinating race to watch. From the minute the tapes go down, it’ll be strong and if you give Constitution Hill a little niggle at the top of the hill… if he does that turning in, then he’s beat. Constitution Hill has won the fights, but the Champion Hurdle could be a different ball game.

“Last season you have to put a line through her run at Cheltenham. Was she in season? If she didn’t like the track of course that’s a problem but this year you’ve seen lots of people saying ‘the faster they go the better’ and ‘when they’re coming down the hill, press on.'”

Chapman replied: “She’s up against a freak. People aren’t appreciating what Constitution Hill is. Did you not see him at Cheltenham [in the Unibet Hurdle] last?”

Spectators and pundits alike have drawn comparisons to the 2019 renewal of the race where Gigginstown fielded Apple’s Jade, then a 10-time Grade One winner. Elliott’s horse famously disappointed, finishing far adrift of eventual winner Espoir D’Allen.

Matt Chapman predicted: “I think this will be the the exact repeat of Apple’s Jade. In 2019, Apple’s Jade went into the Champion Hurdle off the back of winning the Irish Champion. She was sent off a 7/4 favourite and was useless. Everyone said she was going to be a monster, and she was useless.”

Many onlookers have dismissed the chances of Lossiemouth, who fell in the Irish Champion Hurdle when distracted by a flock of seagulls at Leopardstown after dispatched a returning Constitution Hill in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton.

Paddy Brennan, who tipped Lossiemouth to triumph in that Winter clash, said: “I’ve been a massive fan of Lossiemouth all the way through but you have to remember she’s coming to Cheltenham off the back of a fall. I think with the ground becoming dry, decent ground, two and a half could be what she would need at Cheltenham.

“If you’re Willie Mullins at 9.50am on Sunday morning do you declare here for the Champion or the Mares’ Hurdle? If they want a winner, I’d say it will be the Mares’. Her preparation is not the best for a Champion Hurdle.”

Nay-sayers have also pointed to Closutton top jockey Paul Townend’s mount preference as a reason to look elsewhere, with Closutton’s number one expected to stick with last year’s winner State Man, who he rode to victory over Lossiemouth in the aforementioned Irish Champion Hurdle in February.

Matt Chapman pointed out: “If I was Rich Ricci, it would be very hard [to go for the Champion Hurdle] when the stable jockey is ditching you [to ride State Man].”

Many pundits are dubbing the Grade One affair a two horse race, with the rest of the field likely to be determined by ground conditions at Prestbury Park.

Clerk of the Course Jon Pullin said: “We’d love to start on lovely jumping ground, something around good-to-soft or soft would be fantastic. Hopefully you’d have no excuses then for any of the horses competing. We’ve got some different weather at the moment and it obviously changes again ahead of the Festival. We’ll see what we’ve got and what we need to do if we need to intervene.”

One set of connections who will be monitoring the weather forecast are that of Golden Ace, who defeated Brighterdaysahead on soft ground in the Mares’ Hurdle last term. Like Lossiemouth, she currently holds entries for both major hurdling events on opening day.

Matt Chapman said: “I actually think she’s a two miler. She’d need good to soft or good ground to win the Mares’ so I’m not sure it matters which race she goes for, as I don’t think she’ll win either [based on conditions].”

Brennan added: “She’s never come into a race all season bar her last run where she’s hit a bit of form. If you’re ever going to judge her getting the trip, it will be on this occasion. I would not rule her out and I think it would be a good call to go for the Mares’ – you have to go for a race you can win.”

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