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Gordon Elliott: plans for some of my top team

By Racing TV

Last Updated: Wed 4 Nov 2026

Christmas could be a pivotal period for Gordon Elliott’s star mares, with Cheltenham Festival winner Wodhooh poised to test her stamina in Ascot’s Long Walk Hurdle before Brighterdaysahead makes her eagerly awaited return following a setback caused by a haematoma.

The former excelled over intermediate trips last season – making a winning return on a raiding mission to Berkshire a year ago in the Ascot Hurdle – with the highlight of her campaign coming at Prestbury Park when winning the Mares’ Hurdle.

Meanwhile, Brighterdaysahead was either first or second in some of the season’s hottest events, winning the Irish Champion Hurdle and ending her year on a high in the Aintree Hurdle to accompany silver medals on her return in the December Hurdle and in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Mares' Hurdle winner Wodhooh could be a Stayers' Hurdle contender this season.

Elliott, who also revealed Teahupoo is on course to make his traditional return in Fairyhouse’s Hatton’s Grace Hurdle, said: “Wodhooh is going to go to the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot and we’ll see if she is a stayer.

“You will probably not see Brighterdaysahead until Christmas, she got a little haematoma on her sternum and she must have got a fright and banged it on her door or something.

“We had to drain that and missed a couple of weeks with her. It’s nothing serious but it just means it will probably be Christmas before she starts.

“I think she’s a better horse in the second half of the season anyway.”

In the more immediate future, Elliott sees The Enabler as his best chance of extending his fine record in Navan’s BAR 1 Betting Troytown Handicap Chase, a race in which he is set to be well represented as usual on Sunday week.

“The Enabler has a big chance and he’ll love the ground if it stays like this,” said the Cullentra handler, who also has the likes of The Wallpark and Better Days Ahead high-up in the betting for the staying contest.

“He had a brilliant run in the Irish National (third) and ran a good race at Cheltenham (sixth in the Kim Muir) when he was ridden completely wrong, ridden too handy and too wide.

“He will like the track and I think he’s a horse who loves being dropped in and can creep away and off his weight I think he has a big chance.”

The Enabler has a "big chance" in the Troytown Handicap, according to trainer Gordon Elliott. (Pic: Healy Racing)

Elliott is never short of runners at the two-day Navan Racing Festival and is looking forward to seeing two of his main players for owners Bective Stud take to the track when Found A Fifty defends his Fortria Chase crown and The Yellow Clay attempts to go one better than last year in the Lismullen Hurdle.

The trainer continued: “Found A Fifty has been a stable star and he’s a bit like one of those good old footballers who never lets anyone down. He’ll come out and win a good race every year and yes he’s not getting any younger but he’ll always have a good each-way chance.

“I’m looking forward to running The Yellow Clay. He worked well this morning and he wasn’t right last year. He was running his best race of the whole year at Cheltenham before falling at the second last but has had an operation for a kissing spine on his back.

“He looks to be looking very well and moving well and there will be improvement in him from the Lismullen as he was a bit late coming back in than usual.”

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