'She's stiff and sore this morning, we think she must have twisted something early on' - Gordon Elliott on Brighterdaysahead

Gordon Elliott has reported Brighterdaysahead to be stiff and sore on Wednesday morning, and thinks she may have twisted something during the first half of a bonkers Champion Hurdle on Tuesday. 

The day-one showpiece was billed as a straight shootout between Brighterdaysahead and Constitution Hill beforehand. It turned out to be anything but. 

Constitution Hill took off too early at the fifth hurdle and crashed out, seemingly leaving the door open for Elliott to land his first Champion Hurdle. 

Brighterdaysahead hit an-running low of 1.33 (1-3) on the Betfair Exchange following the departure of Constitution Hill, but she proved a bitter disappointment and folded tamely into fourth, beaten almost 20 lengths. 

It looked too bad to be true and Elliott said she wasn't herself this morning. 

Elliott said: "She's very stiff and sore behind this morning. We think she must have twisted something early on in the race."

Brighterdaysahead: well beaten in the Champion HurdleCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

The trainer added: "Jack [Kennedy] knows her as well as anybody and he said she was beaten far too early for it to be her true running. What she always does in her races is finish strongly. She always keeps going and never stops, but she stopped yesterday for some reason. 

"We think that reason was that she tweaked something early on. We all know she is much better than that. It's nothing serious and she'll be fine, but it obviously affected her in the race because that wasn't the Brighterdaysahead we know."

Speaking in the immediate aftermath of the race, Kennedy said: "She was disappointing. The one thing she always does is find and when I went for her there was nothing there. I’d imagine it wasn’t her true running."

That now definitely appears to be the case.

Golden Ace: capitalised to win the Champion HurdleCredit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

Legendary pair Ted Walsh and Brough Scott hailed it the "most amazing Champion Hurdle" they'd seen, as State Man crashed out at the last with back-to-back Champion Hurdles at his mercy, leaving the way clear for Golden Ace to seal a famous triumph for Jeremy Scott and Lorcan William.  

She galloped on up the hill for a nine-length victory at odds of 25-1. The 66-1 shot Burdett Road finished second.

Golden Ace was backed at an in-running high of 129-1 on the Betfair Exchange, with State Man trading as low as 1.04 (1-25). 

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