I could tell you the name of every mare who has won the Mares Hurdle but would struggle to name half the Champion Hurdle runners up in the same period

Market certainly screaming CHampion over Mares.

Only 1 person knows where she is going. People are trading their positions listening to Gordon and media trying to convince him to “do the right thing”.

There is no chance BDA and Lossiemouth both run in Mares. Lossiemouth would only possibly go Mares if BDA takes on Cons Hill.
Jade DG is no mug but is at least 14lbs off BDA so if was beaten wouldn’t have won Champion Hurdle anyway.

Still think BDA goes Mares and Lossiemouth goes Champion Hurdle. By announcing Monday next week it allows O’Leary to take charge and stop situation where Mullins potentially switches Lossie to Mares thinking BDA is going CH. Guaranteed one of the Mares goes to CH.

BDA is a relentless galloper who is effective over 2 miles when they go flat out but will be a 3 mile Chaser and potential Gold Cup contender in the next two years. Not seen odds but imagine current fav for Brown Advisory 2026. Gordon says she could be best he’s had.

Mares this year has issue of pacemaker for her. If it was run at standard or slow pace she is vulnerable like we saw last year in novice. She would make her own running which isn’t ideal.

When is the date they can supplement runners ? That would tell you if Gordon going here.

Hibore    March 5th for supplementary.

Watched a few previews now, and there is hardly anyone who thinks Brighterdaysahead is going Mares'.

When her best form (by a long way) is over two miles it is far from a given that she will ever be a three miler. All the dam's offspring have ended better over shorter.

Diff, 2 miles has been her best and worst performances. They have to go flat out as she has no turn of foot (quote from Elliott). She is just relentless and doesn’t stop.

People who think she has no form over further just watch her win the Grade 1 Mersey hurdle at Aintree. Easiest Grade 1 winner last season ??

In that Aintree race she beat Staffordshire Knot and Bugise Seagull. Not sure either have won since. It isn't strong form. The Mares' Novice is hard to explain other than the slow gallop. On the day Golden Ace was very good, but she hasn't looked to be the same horse this season, possibly due to the woeful stable form. Leaving that aside it looks as if Brighterdaysahead has improved dramatically this season. The pacemaker has helped, and no reason why she won't have that help again. If a horse wins the Champion by daylight, I think it is her, although I would be concerned about the return of Kennedy. If you put up a performance like she did last time, I would want everything left unchanged, and that includes the rider.

You would expect of the 2 strong travellers Constitution Hill and Lossiemouth (normally) at least one of them will pick her up going up the hill. The pacemaker will have dropped out before then imo. BDA could be beaten by finishing pace unless both the other 2 are off the bridal by then

Why would you expect those two just to pick Brighterdaysahead off as if it's a given? I asked the question has Constitution Hill ever gone the sort of speed that the mare went last time, and the answer was three years ago, and that was against a group of novices that were well below this level. He is eight now, and with only ten runs on the board. I would say there is more than a fair chance he isn't what he was three years ago, and I would also believe he will probably need to be better than that. Nobody really knows what he will find when stretched. The closest to that was probably when he stepped up in trip. As a punter it's always beneficial to know a horse can find off the bridle. It's not out of the question that a very strong gallop could force a mistake out of him. He made one under no pressure whatsoever last time so he isn't bombproof in that department. I also thought it was strange that De Boinville nursed him home last time rather than test what was left. Would it really have hurt to have won by ten lengths, rather than a closed down three?

On that train of thought no horse would ever try to win by anything other than the bare minimum. How exciting would that be?

He was vastly superior to the opposition, how hard on the horse would it have been to have ridden him out? In my opinion, not very. It would have given some sort of clue, however minor, as to what was actually under the bonnet.

Yes, in contrast she was ridden right out to the line, but she has had plenty of time to recover. I think it was always the plan to miss the Irish Champion. I doubt they will use that as an excuse.

Constitution Hill is the best since Istabraq a brilliant hurdler. He appears better than Istabraq his natural pace is scary. Every horse declines it is very difficult predicting it before you see it happen. I find it hard to believe we have seen anywhere near Lossiemouth’s best this season also.

I’ll give you evens for a one length win. Actually I’ll give you 5/4

6/4 and you're on Hibore.

You think she'll beat CH?

You can have my money then as Lossiemouth is a Lay for me, that was a really heavy fall.

or BDA gets beat in the mares and we  chuckle at those who thought she,d win the CH

if trainers/connections  thought/think BDA was a shoo in for the mares,surely the opposite logic occurs all the other mares might as well go for the champion hurdle for place money and hope fav falls/underperforms etc as a place in mares is worth less than nothing in the grand scheme

expect announcement shortly.