Punters Outraged by ‘Horrendous’ Tactics in Brighterdaysahead’s Stunning 31-Length Win Against State Man
BRIGHTERDAYSAHEAD achieved a stunning victory over the Champion Hurdle titleholder State Man in an impressive Neville Hotels Hurdle, leaving many bettors frustrated by the ‘poor’ tactics used at the start.
It appeared that Paul Townend was taken by surprise as Sam Ewing on the winning horse and Danny Gilligan on the lead horse King Of Kingsfield surged ahead.
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This left the other six competitors, including State Man, trailing far behind from the onset.
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That distance proved insurmountable, with Gordon Elliott’s exceptional mare winning by an incredible 30 lengths over 66-1 long shot Winter Fog.
State Man, the 4-9 favorite, seemed sluggish and never managed to find his pace.
Brighterdaysahead, who had previously defeated State Man in the Morgiana, confirmed that performance with overwhelming strength after starting at 5-2.
This outcome was particularly sobering for Patrick Mullins, who had expressed confidence in his father’s horse.
Leading up to the Grade 1 at Leopardstown, Patrick remarked: “Brighterdaysahead is a fantastic mare, even better than I initially thought, with much credit to Gordon and Jack (Kennedy) for their unwavering support of her.”
“But I’m fully backing State Man here.”
“Whatever it cost for Santa, whatever the holiday dinner expense, get it all back on State Man.”
“Returning to Leopardstown with a prior run, I believe he’ll bounce back to the top.”
Commenting on the strategic decisions made by the Elliott team at the start, one punter said: “Brighterdaysahead is an incredible mare, but why did Mullins allow them to get such a head start?”
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Another commented: “Once they shot out 10-15 lengths ahead, the result was all but decided unless she fell.”
“It’s clear State Man isn’t the same horse he once was, but did Townend genuinely believe Brighterdaysahead would fade back to him given her serious speed?”
“Poor tactics.”
Brighterdaysahead’s odds plummeted to as low as 7-2 from 20-1 for the Champion Hurdle, while the rejuvenated Constitution Hill became the 4-7 favorite.
However, much to the dismay of many, Elliott later announced they intend to continue with their plan of competing in the Mares Hurdle.
Initially, betting markets were in a frenzy as Paddy Power held odds of 11-4 following Elliott’s comments but were quickly forced to adjust to 7-4.
Brighterdaysahead may face Lossiemouth in the Mares, although Mullins recently suggested they might also aim for the Champion Hurdle and a rematch with Constitution Hill.
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