Unibet Morgiana Hurdle |
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| Grade 1, Punchestown 14:10 €150,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m 160y, Class 1  |
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1 Brighterdaysahead 9/4
2
State Man 4/9F
3
Winter Fog 28/1
7 ran NR: Lossiemouth Distances: ¾l, 13l, 18l
Time: 4m 12.00s (slow by 16.50s)
Brighterdaysahead gets the better of short-priced favourite State Man in the Unibet Morgiana Hurdle under Jack Kennedy for the Gordon Elliott team! 🤯@unibet | @jackkennedy15 | @gelliott_racing pic.twitter.com/NUHh0kgLnt
— Punchestown (@punchestownrace) November 23, 2024
Brighterdaysahead announced herself as a top-notch performer by defeating reigning champion State Man. The mare, trained by Gordon Elliott and owned by Gigginstown House Stud, had only been defeated once prior to this Grade One race, where she lined up as a 9-4 chance under Jack Kennedy.
State Man, trained by Willie Mullins and ridden by Paul Townend, was the 4-9 favourite and was aiming for his third consecutive victory in the race. With the absence of Lossiemouth, it was widely believed that State Man only had Brighterdaysahead to beat.
Taking up the running early, Brighterdaysahead maintained her lead throughout the race. She was joined by State Man on the approach to the final flight. Although State Man briefly took the lead, Brighterdaysahead was undeterred and accelerated again to prevail by three-quarters of a length, with third-placed Winter Fog trailing 13 lengths behind.
Following this victory, Brighterdaysahead's odds for the Champion Hurdle with Betfair shortened from 14-1 to 4-1. Kennedy remarked, "She is hopefully a Champion Hurdle horse. She had to do it the hard way today, and I think she hated being out in front. She did all the donkey work and was very tough. State Man challenged her, but she didn’t back down, which was great."
Kennedy continued, "I suspected they would try to keep the pace steady, so I took the lead. It didn’t suit her, but it worked out. We’ll see what the plan is from here. She’s improving all the time and will have learned a lot from today."
Elliott echoed Kennedy’s sentiments, adding, "She didn’t enjoy making the running, but she had race fitness on her side. She idled in front and wasn’t doing much, so you have to be pleased with the performance. There’s plenty of improvement in her. The Mares’ Hurdle is probably her race, but we’ll see what happens."
Elliott concluded, "We knew two miles might be a bit short for her, but we made use of her race fitness. Leopardstown might be too sharp, but we’ll discuss with Michael and Eddie (O’Leary, owners) to decide her next move."
Mullins gave credit where it was due, saying, "She’s a good mare, and I never mind being beaten by a good horse. The last hurdle didn’t make the difference. State Man got to the front, and she outbattled him."
Brighterdaysahead's victory solidifies her status as a top contender for future races, with her connections excited for what lies ahead.
Unibet Morgiana Hurdle
€150,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 2m 160y, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Soft
POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 Brighterdaysahead 5 11-5 Gordon Elliott Jack Kennedy 9/4
2 ¾ State Man 7 11-12 W P Mullins Paul Townend 4/9F
3 13 Winter Fog 10 11-12 W P Mullins Sean O'Keeffe 28/1
4 18 No Looking Back 6 11-12 Oliver McKiernan Darragh O'Keeffe 200/1
5 1½ Daddy Long Legs 5 11-12 W P Mullins Michael O'Sullivan 14/1
6 6 Sir Gerhard 9 11-12 W P Mullins Danny Mullins 18/1
7 51 Smooth Tom 5 11-12 Andrew Slattery Cian Quirke 150/1
NR 8 Lossiemouth 5 11-5 W P Mullins NON RUNNER
