Brighterdaysahead relished the step up to two miles and five furlongs with an emphatic success in the Apple’s Jade Mares Novice Hurdle at Navan on Sunday.
With Dysart Enos heading the British-trained challengers in the novice mares' division in the UK, Brighterdays ahead needed to produce a strong performance up in distance and she duly delivered under Jack Kennedy with a twelve length win.
"She's a good mare, a proper mare. She is very, very good, I don't say that about too many," said Elliott.
"Jack said he couldn't get a lead any longer on her and he said she wasn't doing a stroke in front.
"She'll come on from it too, as we missed a little bit of time with her – nothing serious, just niggly things.
"She's got a pedigree to be nice and her future is in front of her. She looks like a chaser.
"I'd say at the moment she doesn't want that far, she's got a bit of boot for a big mare, but we had nothing else to run her in because I missed her last engagement and I didn't want to go to England with her."
The win shortened the mare's price for the Dawn Run Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, with Paddy Power choosing to go 11/4 from 10/3.
