AHEAD OF THE GAME

BOUNCE BACK Brighterdaysahead proved to be a flop at Cheltenham

- BY PETER O'HEHIR

TRUST Gordon Elliott's Brighterdaysahead to bounce back from her Cheltenham flop by talking the SBK Irish EBF Mares Champion Hurdle on the final day of the festival.

On ratings, the six-year-old, bidding to give Elliott an end-of-season boost, looks head and shoulders above her five rivals and, if close to her best, should deliver under Sam Ewing, who is unbeaten on the mare.

Beaten only twice in an 11-race career, Gigginstown's daughter of Kapgarde, who lost her unbeaten record when turned over by this year's fortunate Unibet Champion Hurdle winner Golden Ace in the mares novice at Cheltenham last year, went on to make her Grade 1 breakthrough in the Mersey at Aintree.