Brighterdaysahead not out of the picture for Aintree run

What unfolded had to be seen to be believed with both the heavy favourite Constitution Hill and defending champion State Man falling and Brighterdaysahead failing to give her true running and wilting tamely in the home straight, as Jeremy Scott's Golden Ace scorched to victory in the day one feature.

It was the second time Brighterdaysahead had failed to sparkle at the Cheltenham Festival, but she could be given the chance of immediate redemption before the season ends.

"Hopefully we have found something that might have caused her to run poorly, hopefully she is over that now and that just wasn't her, it was an odd run," said Gigginstown's Eddie O'Leary.

"We'll have to see what happens and there is a small chance she will make Liverpool.

"The Champion Hurdle run just wasn't her and from the word go she just wasn't happy. We're happy enough there was a small issue so hopefully we have that sorted out now."

Brighterdaysahead silenced the doubters with a dazzling display on Grand National day last year and a liking for racing left-handed makes a step up in trip at Aintree to race over the same course-and-distance she relished 12 months ago the preferred option.

"She is better off going left-handed. If it's not Liverpool she will have to go the other way round at Punchestown," continued O'Leary.

"It would be in the two-and-a-half-mile race at Liverpool. We'd prefer to go left-handed, but it would be up to her. If she's well and flying again then that's grand, but if not we can go to Punchestown."

Meanwhile, Joseph O'Brien is targeting Punchestown Festival redemption with Banbridge following his disappointing effort in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Winner of the King George VI Chase at Kempton on St Stephen's Day, the nine-year-old went to post as second-favourite for last week's blue riband behind dual winner Galopin Des Champs, but was a spent force long before the home turn and passed the post last of seven.

O'Brien reports his charge to have returned to Ireland none the worse and hopes he can show his true colours in Kildare, with the Punchestown Gold Cup currently viewed as a more likely target than the two-mile Champion Chase he won last season.

Reflecting on his Cheltenham performance, O'Brien said: "He didn't jump as well as we would have liked. He still looked to be going pretty well jumping the fourth- or fifth-last and he just faded a little bit from there home.

"He's come back well and Punchestown would be a logical target for him now having won there last year.

"We'll probably leave options open, but we'd be thinking about sticking to three miles."

Another O'Brien inmate seemingly bound for Punchestown is Solness, who finished an honourable fourth in the Queen Mother Champion Chase having been unable to adopt his usual front-running tactics.

O'Brien added: "I thought he ran great given the way the race panned out for him. He seems fine after the race and you'll probably see him in Punchestown as well."

Rocky's Diamond could also round off his excellent season at the Punchestown Festival after finishing fourth in the Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Declan Queally's stable star was a 28-1 shot for the day three feature at Prestbury Park last week and ran a fine race, beaten just over 10 lengths by the winner Bob Olinger.

Queally said: "He's come back from Cheltenham in good form and it was a hell of a run for a five-year-old, we were delighted with him.

"He'll probably go to Punchestown and that'd be it I'd say (for the season). I don't think we'll go to Aintree, I'm just hoping we might get a bit of rain in April/May and Punchestown will come up safe, but if the ground is too good, we might not even run.

"It's been a crazy season with him, but he's done nothing but improve and if he can get a bit stronger with a summer's grass, he could be a very good horse next year."