Gordon Elliott made an immediate impact at the Grand National meeting on Thursday, landing a 15-1 Grade One double at Aintree before turning his attention to Saturday’s main event. The Irish trainer will field five runners in the Grand National, with the prospect of a fourth success in the race offering him a share of the all-time record.
The day’s standout result for Elliott came in the Aintree Hurdle, where Brighterdaysahead beat Dan Skelton’s The New Lion by two and a quarter lengths. The performance helped confirm the strength of the Champion Hurdle form from Cheltenham last month, when the same pair finished second and third.
Brighterdaysahead’s win was also notable because it marked a second course-and-distance success for the mare. She is now set for the chasing ranks after the victory, having not managed to win at Cheltenham in three previous attempts.
Elliott’s opening-day success set the tone for what could be a significant week for the trainer at Aintree. With five runners ready for the Grand National, he has assembled a strong challenge for the race that remains the best known steeplechase in the world.
Thursday’s double gave Elliott a positive start to the meeting and underlined the depth of his team across the week’s big races. The Aintree Hurdle result, in particular, provided a clear marker of form heading into the remainder of the festival.
Attention now turns to Saturday, when Elliott will try to add another Grand National victory to his record. A fourth win in the race would move him into a share of the all-time mark, adding further significance to his five-runner line-up.
For now, though, Elliott can reflect on a successful first day at Aintree, with Brighterdaysahead’s emphatic hurdle win and the broader strength of his stable both pointing to a major role across the rest of the meeting.
