'She's different, she just does everything very easily' - Jack Kennedy nominates his best chance at Cheltenham

Jack Kennedy has nominated Brighterdaysahead as his best chance of a winner at the Cheltenham Festival, describing the unbeaten mare as "different" ahead of her eagerly awaited showdown with Jade De Grugy and Dysart Enos in the Ryanair Mares' Novices' Hurdle. 

Brighterdaysahead is five from five and 2-1 favourite with Paddy Power to make it six at next month's festival, and Kennedy had no hesitation whatsoever when asked for his best chance of winner number 11 at the meeting. 

"Brighterdaysahead," the 24-year-old replied instantly, adding: "She just does everything very easily. Those good horses, you just get a very different feel off them. Hopefully she will keep going the way she's going. I've ridden against Jade De Grugy, and it will be a very good race, but I wouldn't swap my mare for any of them."

Elliott was also beaming about Brighterdaysahead and echoed Kennedy's sentiments in hoping she is one of the best chances of the week for the Cullentra House team. 

Elliott said: "She does her own talking on the track, but we think she's very good. Shane McCann rides here every day and he's as good a judge as we have here. He said that she could be as good as any we've ever had here. 

"She's going the right way, she knows how to win and she's got a great attitude. She's not flashy, but we like what she does. She pleases us the whole time. Even when she won her four-year-old bumper, we only did her first bit of work a few weeks beforehand and we didn't really know what we had. She's not flashy at home, but on the track she knows how to win. She's got a great chance."

Kennedy leads Paul Townend by eight at the top of the jump jockeys' championship in Ireland with 108 winners, but, when asked whether he would rather win the title for the first time or win the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup for a second time on Gerri Colombe, his response was emphatic. 

Jack Kennedy thinks Gerri Colombe can get closer to Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup

"I'd definitely rather win the Gold Cup again," said the rider who steered Minella Indo to glory in the race in 2021 without any crowds in the stands. 

"Hopefully we can beat Galopin Des Champs, but it's going to be tough. I definitely think he can get closer than he did at Leopardstown and he should be bang there."

Kennedy has some big decisions to make before the festival and knows it will not be easy getting all the decisions right, particularly in the Paddy Power Stayers' Hurdle, the Glenfarclas Cross Country Chase and the Weatherbys Champion Bumper where Elliott is set to have at least three runners in each. 

Kennedy said: "I'm lucky to be in the position I'm in, but I've a few tough calls to make. The toughest decision will probably be having to pick between Teahupoo and Irish Point in the Stayers' Hurdle. I'll be waiting until much closer to the time to make that decision and there will be a few things to take into consideration. It's very tough and they are both very different horses. They are both very good horses, though."

Kennedy has managed to stay relatively injury-free this season, which has played a huge part in his pursuit of a first title, and he paid special tribute to Elliott for sticking by him each and every time he had been on the sidelines. 

The jockey said: "Gordon has been unreal. From the minute I've come in here, he hasn't been afraid to put me up on good horses. I've been coming here on and off since I was 12, I used to come up when I was on my holidays from school. I started here full-time just before I turned 16. 

"Being able to focus on coming back from injury and knowing that you have good horses to come back to, rather than wondering if I would be able to get back going again or not, was massive for me. That takes the not knowing out of the equation and makes life easier for me."

On his changing role since Davy Russell retired last April, Kennedy said: "I wouldn't say I have much more input or anything, I just ride the horses really, but I suppose there has been a bit more responsibility on me since he retired."

Kennedy will not be following in Russell's footsteps and partaking in the hit television show Dancing With The Stars anytime soon, though. 

"No chance, that wouldn't be for me," he laughed when the suggestion was made. 

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