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2026 Champion Hurdle

What are people’s thoughts on Brighterdaysahead for the CH, is 7/1 a big price if as to a lot believe he beats Lossie at the DRF, trying to get something on side after the 350/1 Sir Gino bet went down following the weekend. Some blow to my Cheltenham that was main thing being that hopefully the horse is ok!
 
I've backed her. I think she beats Lossiemouth there in turn giving the Mullins camp the excuse they need to send Lossie to the mares. Elliott has Wodhooh for the mares and she won't be going anywhere else. BDA left her season at Leopardstown last season. They won't make that mistake again. Genuine excuses for her Cheltenham form I feel and we will see the best of her this time round.

I will just go and fetch my tin hat......
 
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Yosser said:
I've backed her. I think she beats Lossiemouth there in turn giving the Mullins camp the excuse they need to send Lossie to the mares. Elliott has Wodhooh for the mares and she won't be going anywhere else. BDA left her season at Leopardstown last season. They won't make that mistake again. Genuine excuses for her Cheltenham form I feel and we will see the best of her this time round.

I will just go and fetch my tin hat......
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I'm the same backed at 16's after her last run as I think she reverses the form with Lossie this weekend.
 
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If you wanted to I think you could make a case for 9/2 NRNB being a better bet than 7/1. Or waiting for some sort of win today and festival offering.

Think Lossie beats her at the weekend anyway personally. And sends her to the Mares.
 
Benjy23 said:
If you wanted to I think you could make a case for 9/2 NRNB being a better bet than 7/1. Or waiting for some sort of win today and festival offering.

Think Lossie beats her at the weekend anyway personally. And sends her to the Mares.
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Is their much point in a 1-2 in the mares for the yard?
Bad enough one of them going for it imo, even though I do understand reasons to have a winner at the festival.
 
Different owners for starters... I'd be fairly confidt she'd go that way if not winning at the weekend.
 
Durham Edition said:
I'm the same backed at 16's after her last run as I think she reverses the form with Lossie this weekend.
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Covered BDA @ 25's before their last run as thought that was her best chance of beating Lossie. Not convinced she'll be any closer this weekend.
 
Might be risky second guessing michael o leary, but my guess would be he's sporting and wants to win the biggest races, but is also a pessimist.

I think last year he would have thought she had a chance so they had a go. But since she was well beat, I'd say he's just thinking she's not good enough to win it now, I don't think he'll be agreeing with gordon that she wasn't right. I'd guess he's thinking that if she can't beat lossie at leopardstown, where her best run has been, then she's not going to beat her at cheltenham. So if your a champion hurdle backer I'd say you might need her to win at the weekend to go for the champion.
 
riccirich said:
Might be risky second guessing michael o leary, but my guess would be he's sporting and wants to win the biggest races, but is also a pessimist.

I think last year he would have thought she had a chance so they had a go. But since she was well beat, I'd say he's just thinking she's not good enough to win it now, I don't think he'll be agreeing with gordon that she wasn't right. I'd guess he's thinking that if she can't beat lossie at leopardstown, where her best run has been, then she's not going to beat her at cheltenham. So if your a champion hurdle backer I'd say you might need her to win at the weekend to go for the champion.
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She couldn't beat Jade De Grugy and Gala Marceau over 2 1/2m either last season so not hard to argue that she wasn't right after that Xmas run. Even with defeat this weekend it would surprise me if they turned down the chance of a Champion Hurdle bid in a weak renewal to take on Wodhooh from the same yard off level weights in a Mares Hurdle. She is being campaigned now to peak at Cheltenham and that is what she will do I believe in the Champion Hurdle.
 
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Yosser said:
I've backed her. I think she beats Lossiemouth there in turn giving the Mullins camp the excuse they need to send Lossie to the mares. Elliott has Wodhooh for the mares and she won't be going anywhere else. BDA left her season at Leopardstown last season. They won't make that mistake again. Genuine excuses for her Cheltenham form I feel and we will see the best of her this time round.

I will just go and fetch my tin hat......
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I have covered her for that very same reason. I can’t go too heavy on her, given her poor show in last years CH (though appreciate the demolition of state man may have left it’s mark). Willing to forgive the run in the mares novice, two jockey errors for me that was.
 
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BDA might even not go to Cheltenham, IF they are considering how she’s performed there in the past.
Possible she could try and win DRF and then go to Aintree after a longer break? Or Punch festival?
Don’t sound right I know, winning at DRF and not going CH.
Anyway nrmb has to be for this one imo.
 
Carnage at Taunton said:
BDA might even not go to Cheltenham, IF they are considering how she’s performed there in the past.
Possible she could try and win DRF and then go to Aintree after a longer break? Or Punch festival?
Don’t sound right I know, winning at DRF and not going CH.
Anyway nrmb has to be for this one imo.
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What piece of form makes her a better 2 1/2 miler than 2 miler? The third to JDG and Gala Marceau? Or beating Staffordshire Knot getting 7lb when that horse was garbage?
 
Runragged said:
What piece of form makes her a better 2 1/2 miler than 2 miler? The third to JDG and Gala Marceau? Or beating Staffordshire Knot getting 7lb when that horse was garbage?
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I’m not saying she is better at 2 1/2.
I’m saying that connections may consider not going to Cheltenham because of her past runs there,
and offering alternatives
It’s just summising, that’s all.
 
With The New Lion underwhelming, Lossiemouth going to the Mares and BDA missing Cheltenham altogether, Alexei could go fav for the Champion Hurdle after beating Golden Ace in the Kingwell!!😂
 
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Carnage at Taunton said:
I’m not saying she is better at 2 1/2.
I’m saying that connections may consider not going to Cheltenham because of her past runs there,
and offering alternatives
It’s just summising, that’s all.
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It just puzzles me why missing Cheltenham and the Champion Hurdle would be an option? On all known form in the last two years she has shown the single best piece of form at the trip. On ratings she also has the 4th and 5th best with allowances (Lossiemouth joint 2nd with her two 160 RPRs this season). To me that makes her a 2 miler and where she should be running.
 
Runragged said:
It just puzzles me why missing Cheltenham and the Champion Hurdle would be an option? On all known form in the last two years she has shown the single best piece of form at the trip. On ratings she also has the 4th and 5th best with allowances (Lossiemouth joint 2nd with her two 160 RPRs this season). To me that makes her a 2 miler and where she should be running.
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Because of her past performance there.
Punch festival would be 2m, they could do Dublin and then go there.
Like I said it’s just summising and comments on why someone may be better to take nrmb if wanting to back her in the CH.
Nothing more than that.
 
Runragged said:
She couldn't beat Jade De Grugy and Gala Marceau over 2 1/2m either last season so not hard to argue that she wasn't right after that Xmas run. Even with defeat this weekend it would surprise me if they turned down the chance of a Champion Hurdle bid in a weak renewal to take on Wodhooh from the same yard off level weights in a Mares Hurdle. She is being campaigned now to peak at Cheltenham and that is what she will do I believe in the Champion Hurdle.
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A lot of Gordon's were running below par around that time though, so im not sure you can say thats evidence she wasn't right at Cheltenham, I'd personally say he just had them ready earlier in the season than mullins and they were running on fumes by punchestown.

I'm speaking more for just how I believe oleary thinks rather than what I'd do. I don't think he's an optimistic person that will be agreeing with gordon that she wasn't right and this time it might be different etc. I'd say just from seeing a lot of him speaking, he'd be more likely thinking "she got stuffed, and that's that", especially since there's no actual issue for gordon to point to, just a general feeling that she probably wasn't herself. Rather than two miles at Cheltenham just not being to her liking, or just Cheltenham in general not being her favourite.

I dont think wodhooh matters much personally, I think if oleary doesnt think she can win a champion then she'll go for the mares regardless even if she ends up second choice, assuming she goes to Cheltenham. So I think you'd ideally want her to be winning at drf or losing by a neck or something for oleary to go for the champion.
 
Runragged said:
What piece of form makes her a better 2 1/2 miler than 2 miler? The third to JDG and Gala Marceau? Or beating Staffordshire Knot getting 7lb when that horse was garbage?
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To be fair her best 2 mile form was in a race setup to be a lung bursting test of stamina. She definitely won't be going chasing to win a champion chase that's for sure, she's seen as a gold cup prospect.

The horses Matnie produced all wanted further. Mighty Potter would have been seen to great effect if he'd had the chance to tackle 3 mile rip, Caldwell Potter and French Dynamite showed improvement upped in trip.

The only way I see BDA winning a champion hurdle is if the race is relentless from the off. She doesn't seem to have that tactical speed to go by a horse, we saw that when Golden Ace beat her. Weirdly enough you'd almost want her to get beat in a crawl at the DRF. If they try pace setting tactics again this weekend which looks likely, she'll probably leave her season at Leopardstown again.
 
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