Elliott Plans Wodhooh for Ascot Long Walk
Gordon Elliott intends to run Wodhooh in the Long Walk Hurdle, while Brighterdaysahead is set to return to racing around Christmas.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Equestrian
Trainer Gordon Elliott plans to run Wodhooh, a Cheltenham Festival winner, in Ascot's Long Walk Hurdle. Brighterdaysahead, who won the Irish Champion Hurdle and the Aintree Hurdle, is expected to return to racing around Christmas after a haematoma setback.
Why it matters
The plans set up a potential clash between top hurdlers and show how injuries shape the early-season schedule for leading horses. Wodhooh's entry signals a step up in class for a mare who has already made a successful return this season.
Wodhooh has a Cheltenham Festival win and a Mares' Hurdle victory at Cheltenham last season, along with a winning return in the Ascot Hurdle a year ago. Brighterdaysahead's exact return date remains unconfirmed, with the source only pointing to a timeframe around Christmas.
The players
Gordon Elliott
Gordon Elliott is a leading Irish racehorse trainer known for training numerous Cheltenham Festival and Grand National winners.
The details
Elliott said he plans to run Wodhooh in the Long Walk Hurdle at Ascot. Brighterdaysahead developed a haematoma on her sternum after banging it on her door, and the swelling was drained, costing her a couple of weeks of training before a planned return around Christmas.
Timeline
Around Christmas: Brighterdaysahead is expected to make her racing return.
Sunday week: The Troytown Handicap Chase takes place at the Navan Racing Festival, where The Enabler has a big chance.
Season Trajectory
Wodhooh's move toward the Long Walk Hurdle follows her Mares' Hurdle success at Cheltenham, testing her against open-company hurdlers rather than mares only. The planned Ascot run shapes how the top hurdle division will look as the winter season develops.
Fantasy and betting players tracking the hurdle division should note Wodhooh's possible Long Walk Hurdle entry and Brighterdaysahead's expected Christmas return. The Enabler's Troytown Handicap Chase run on Sunday week gives a near-term marker for those following the staying chase division.
The takeaway
Injuries can reshape a top horse's season quickly, so watching planned return dates matters as much as the results themselves. Wodhooh's Ascot plan shows trainers testing proven winners against stronger open-company fields.
What happens next
Brighterdaysahead is expected to return to racing around Christmas, and The Enabler runs in the Troytown Handicap Chase at Navan on Sunday week.
Further reading
For more on the jump-racing circuit and the horses named here, see our Equestrian coverage.
