In an interview with Racing Post, renowned horse trainer Gordon Elliott discussed his potential runners for the 2024 Cheltenham Festival. Horses mentioned include Brighterdaysahead for the Mares' Novices' Hurdle, Delta Work for the Cross Country, and Gerri Colombe for the Gold Cup. Elliott expressed optimism for their performance and shared his strategic preparation plans.
Gordon Elliott's stable tour ahead of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival
Elliott spoke to Racing Post this weekend
Read exclusive quotes about Irish Point, Teahupoo, Brighterdaysahead and more
Gordon Elliott on the gallops at Cheltenham Racecourse. (Getty)
Elliott's Cheltenham Squad
Top Chances
Brighterdaysahead (Mares' Novices' Hurdle)
Delta Work (Cross Country)
Gerri Colombe (Gold Cup)
Irish Point (Champion Hurdle or Stayers' Hurdle)
Teahupoo (Stayers' Hurdle)
Novice Hurdlers
Croke Park (Albert Bartlett)
Firefox (Supreme)
Kala Conti (Triumph Hurdle)
King Of Kingsfield (Supreme)
My Trump Card (Albert Bartlett)
Staffordshire Knot (Baring Bingham)
Stellar Story (Albert Bartlett)
Wodhooh (Triumph Hurdle)
Bumper Horses
Jalon D'Oudairies
Romeo Coolio
The Yellow Clay
Older Hurdlers
Fils D'Oudairies (Champion Hurdle)
Sire Du Berlais (Stayers' Hurdle)
Novice Chasers
American Mike (Turners Novices' Chase)
Found A Fifty (Arkle)
Harmonya Maker (Mares' Chase)
Salvador Ziggy (National Hunt Chase)
Three Card Brag (National Hunt Chase)
Older Chasers
Ashtree Meadow (Ryanair Chase)
Coko Beach (Cross Country)
Conflated (Ryanair Chase)
Fil Dor (Ryanair Chase)
Galvin (Cross Country)
Riviere D'Etel (Mares' Chase)
The Goffer (Ultima)
Gordon Elliott spoke to Racing Post this week. Read key quotes about his possible runners at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival.
*All quotes attributed to Racing Post*
Gordon Elliott Cheltenham Festival 2024 Stable Tour
Top Chances
Brighterdaysahead (Mares' Novices' Hurdle)
She's a proper mare. She's very, very good, and I don't say that about too many. She's got a pedigree to be nice and has a bright future. She looks like a chaser but the plan now is the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham. She'll come on from her win at Navan as we missed a little bit of time with her. Nothing serious, just niggling little things.
Delta Work (Cross Country)
I was thrilled with him in the Boyne Hurdle. He was lame after his run at Cheltenham in November and we gave him an easy time for a while after that. That run at Navan will leave him cherry ripe for the Cross Country. He'll take a bit of beating in it again.
Gerri Colombe (Gold Cup)
His big day has always been Gold Cup day. We were a bit disappointed with him in the Savills. He couldn't live with Galopin Des Champs, but I'm not sure any horse would have landed a glove on him that day. It was more his finishing effort that disappointed me. He only just held on for second and that's not him. His best furlong is always his last furlong. For whatever reason, he just maybe wasn't 100 per cent on the day. My job was always to have him right for the Gold Cup and I hope you'll see the real Gerri Colombe at Cheltenham. We're under no illusions, though. Galopin Des Champs is a brilliant horse and we have a hell of a lot on our plate to try to beat him. It won't be easy, but I'm confident you'll see a better Gerri Colombe than the one you saw at Leopardstown.
Irish Point (Champion Hurdle or Stayers' Hurdle)
He's a young horse with a great attitude and plenty of class. He's won his last four and hasn't done a lot wrong in his whole career. He's a short enough price for the Stayers' Hurdle and he saw out the three miles well at Leopardstown, but it's not beyond the bounds of possibility he could run in the Champion Hurdle, as we also have Teahupoo for the Stayers' Hurdle, who is also owned by Brian [Acheson, of Robcour]. I could see him running a huge race in the Champion Hurdle and you should never be afraid of one horse. The fast pace would work in his favour and, if he managed to keep himself in contention coming down the hill, he'd be coming back up it as fast as anything else. He's a proper horse.
Teahupoo (Stayers' Hurdle)
We came away from last year's Stayers' Hurdle thinking it was one that got away, so I suppose we have some unfinished business with him in the race. We've done things a bit differently this season. We know he goes really well fresh, so we decided to put him away after he won the Hatton's Grace and go straight to Cheltenham. We've kept him ticking over and we'll step things up in the next week or two. You'd hope he's got a big chance.
Gerri Colombe ridden by Davy Russell jumps the last fence to win the Air Charter Service Mildmay Novices' Chase on Ladies Day during the second day of the Grand National Festival at Aintree. (Getty)
Novice Hurdlers
Croke Park (Albert Bartlett)
He definitely wasn't himself in the Grade 1 at Naas. Stamina seems to be his strong suit and the Albert Bartlett might be the race to bring out the best in him.
Firefox (Supreme)
The way he travels and jumps, the Supreme Novices' Hurdle will be right up his street. He wasn't right at Naas. That wasn't him and we found a few issues afterwards. We know he's a lot better than that. Ballyburn could be a machine, but we like our horse a lot and he's been doing everything right at home.
Kala Conti (Triumph Hurdle)
She's a smart juvenile hurdler who beat Kargese at Christmas before finishing a close-up fifth to her at the Dublin Racing Festival. She made a mistake at a crucial stage there. She's straightforward and a lovely filly for the future.
King Of Kingsfield (Supreme)
He's a very fast horse who works brilliantly. I could see him running well in the Supreme and he'll have the option of the County Hurdle as well. A place like Aintree could be made for him too, where there's that extra bit of emphasis on speed.
My Trump Card (Albert Bartlett)
He's a good horse, make no mistake about it, but he just needs to get his jumping together. When he meets one right, he's very good, but when he doesn't he seems to get it all wrong and lose ground. If he happened to jump well in the Albert Bartlett, there wouldn't be too many finishing better than him.
Staffordshire Knot (Baring Bingham)
He's a lovely young horse who I was delighted to keep after the sale the other day. We'd like to get another run into him soon and that'll probably tell us where we stand with him. If he were impressive in a novice hurdle somewhere, he might book his ticket to Cheltenham. We'll see how he gets on. He's a horse for the future and I'd like to think he has a bright one.
Stellar Story (Albert Bartlett)
I'd be willing to forgive him his run at the Dublin Racing Festival. He's better than that and can certainly jump better. I've always thought he was an ideal type for the Albert Bartlett. He's a strong stayer.
Wodhooh (Triumph Hurdle)
She's a winning machine who is five from five over hurdles. She has a wonderful attitude and has turned inside out since she went jumping. She wouldn't be out of place in the Triumph Hurdle, but the Boodles is an interesting alternative for her.
Jack Kennedy riding Irish Point clear the last to win The Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown. (Getty)
Bumper Horses
Jalon D'Oudairies
He's two from two and beat a very good horse in Redemption Day at Leopardstown over Christmas. He's got a lovely way of going and looks top class. He'll be bang there in the Champion Bumper.
Romeo Coolio
I've always loved him. He won at Fairyhouse on a day when our horses ran below par and he wasn't fully fit for it either. It was a messy race and he was nicely on top at the line. He's a proper horse.
The Yellow Clay
He's a dark one for the Champion Bumper. He was 40-1 at Leopardstown but didn't run like a 40-1 shot. He didn't get much luck in running but he fairly flew home and there's bundles of improvement to come from him. He hadn't run since last March, so I'd like to think there's plenty to work on fitness-wise.
Older Hurdlers
Fils D'Oudairies (Champion Hurdle)
He's in the Champion Hurdle and he could run in that as there might be a small field, but we also have the option of running him in a handicap over fences. We'll make a decision nearer the time.
Sire Du Berlais (Stayers' Hurdle)
We know by now he's a different horse in the spring, so it didn't surprise me to see him run the way he did at Navan. He'll come on a ton for it. He's a spring horse and a legend of the yard, so we'll head back for the Stayers' Hurdle one last time.
Mark Walsh celebrates on board Sire Du Berlais (R) after winning the Paddy Power Stayers Hurdle during day three of the Cheltenham Festival 2023. (Getty)
Novice Chasers
American Mike (Turners Novices' Chase)
He leaves me scratching my head more than any other horse in the yard. He keeps disappointing me and then coming back. There's obviously a big engine in there when he's on a going day. Jack gave him a great ride at Navan. I'm not sure whether he'll go to the Cheltenham Festival, or for what race if he does. He has me very confused. Maybe the Irish National might be the race for him.
Found A Fifty (Arkle)
It looks an open Arkle this year and he goes there with a massive chance. I think Cheltenham will suit him even better than Leopardstown does. He didn't do much wrong in the Irish Arkle and was just collared close home there. He's already a Grade 1 winner and he's getting better with every start. We hope he has every chance.
Harmonya Maker (Mares' Chase)
She can be a bit hot and cold, but she's a talented mare on a going day and kept at it well to win the Grade 2 at Thurles last time.
Salvador Ziggy (National Hunt Chase)
He hasn't run since the American Grand National as we decided to keep him fresh for the National Hunt Chase. I've always thought that race would suit him, especially if he got some decent ground. He was second in the Kerry National off a mark of 150. That's solid form.
Three Card Brag (National Hunt Chase)
He's in the National Hunt Chase, but the Irish Grand National is an option for him too. He'll do one or the other. We can't really do both given how close they are to each other this year. I don't think he was himself at Punchestown on New Year's Eve and I'd like to think he's a bit better than that.
delta work cheltenham. (Getty)
Older Chasers
Ashtree Meadow (Ryanair Chase)
He's a Galway Plate winner who loves some nice ground. He's rated 159 now and we have to be thinking about races like the Ryanair Chase. He didn't put a foot out of place at Down Royal when winning the Grade 2 there and we've purposely kept him fresh for the spring.
Coko Beach (Cross Country)
He's a natural over the banks and seemed to love it at Punchestown the other day. He had plenty of schooling over the banks before that. He'll be on the teamsheet for the Cross Country now and he'll have every chance.
Conflated (Ryanair Chase)
He's a multiple Grade 1 winner who probably deserves another shot at the Ryanair. He might have been second to Allaho in it two years ago had he not come down. He ran well for a long way in the Irish Gold Cup.
Fil Dor (Ryanair Chase)
He's in great nick and it was great to have kept him after the sale. You could argue his run against El Fabiolo was the best of his life and he seems to be improving. He's still a young horse. We've kept him fresh for the Ryanair and I'd like to think he has a decent chance.
Galvin (Cross Country)
He wasn't beaten far in the Boyne Hurdle and you'd have to be absolutely delighted with the way he ran there. That will leave him spot on for the Cross Country and the better the ground is there, the better his chance.
Riviere D'Etel (Mares' Chase)
She was going well enough in the Mares' Chase last year when she came down three out and will go back there in better form this year. She beat Allegorie De Vassy on New Year's Day but I would say the trip found her out at Naas on Saturday.
The Goffer (Ultima)
He will have another crack at the Ultima. He ran a cracker in it last year. He probably got to the front a little too soon if anything. The form of the race hasn't worked out too bad, has it? Minella Crooner is another who could turn up in that.
