Five Gordon Elliott horses to follow throughout the 2023-24 jumps season

Gordon Elliott has a strong team to look forward to this season and here we identify five of his horses that it could pay to follow throughout the campaign.

Brighterdaysahead

The famous maroon and white silks of Gigginstown House may not be as prevalent on racecourses as they once were, but the operation looks to have an exciting horse among their roster this season in Brighterdaysahead.

A half-sister to the Gordon Elliott stable’s ill-fated Mighty Potter, this four-year-old daughter of Kapgarde fetched €310,000 at the sales in June 2022 and went some way to repaying that investment with a pair of impressive bumper victories last season.

Harry Swan didn't need to get remotely serious with Brighterdaysahead when merely pushing the filly out to score by four lengths at Fairyhouse in April, after which Elliott described her as a "seriously good mare". Presumably, a hurdling campaign beckons and Brighterdaysahead is as short as 8-1 for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at this season’s Cheltenham Festival, with William Hill going a standout 14-1 for the 2m1f contest.

Irish Point

Having looked slightly unfortunate not to see off subsequent Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Marine Nationale when run down late in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse in December, Irish Point managed to end his novice hurdle campaign with a first Grade 1 success in the Mersey Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree’s Grand National festival.

Although clearly not short of speed, it is notable that Irish Point’s two career-high RPRs came on his only runs over 2m4f, and given how strongly he saw out his race at Aintree it would be no surprise to see him race over even further at some stage this season.

The grey son of Joshua Tree remains open to plenty of improvement and will warrant respect this term when encountering his favoured soft ground.

Irish Point: successful in the Grade 1 Mersey Novices' Hurdle at Aintree when last seenCredit: Edward Whitaker

Favori De Champdou

Although clearly not the easiest horse to train, having endured long absences on either side of a Galway maiden hurdle second, Favori De Champdou has some high-class form in the book that includes a Thurles bumper win over smart dual-purpose horses Run For Oscar and Ajero.

The Gigginstown-owned eight-year-old racked up a quick-fire hurdling hat-trick last winter that culminated with a Grade 2 success in an often-informative contest at Limerick.

He was below that level in subsequent runs at the Cheltenham and Punchestown festivals, but has the scope to make up into a smart staying chaser this season, particularly when faced with testing ground conditions. Bet365 goes 25-1 about the gelding for next year’s National Hunt Chase.

Favori De Champdou (left): could make up into a top staying novice chaser this seasonCredit: Patrick McCann

The Yellow Clay

Bective Stud home-bred The Yellow Clay gained two bumper wins in the space of 21 days earlier this year, including at Listed level at Limerick under Jamie Codd.

In post-race comments, the rider claimed the son of Yeats would be treated "like a good horse" throughout this campaign, which would suggest that all roads lead to one of the novice hurdles at the Cheltenham Festival.

The 2m1f maiden hurdle at Down Royal in early November – previously won by Elliott with the likes of Envoi Allen, Ballyadam and Mighty Potter – looks like a potential first port of call for The Yellow Clay.

Landrake

The Caldwell Construction-owned Landrake failed to get his head in front in four starts in bumpers but raced in some hot contests won by subsequent Grade 1 winners Facile Vega and Good Land.

He had subsequent Grade 2 winner Corbetts Cross a length and a quarter behind when making a successful hurdling debut at Clonmel last November and supplemented that with a six-and-a-half-length success at Fairyhouse next time.

Still well in contention when crashing out three from home at Navan in January, Landrake showed no ill effects from that spill when going down by just half a length back at the same track when last seen in March.

The gutsy six-year-old looks like the type of horse who is going to improve once sent chasing over staying trips – something backed up by his pedigree with his dam a half-sister to 2016 Grand National winner Rule The World.

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