Four Gordon Elliott-trained horses to watch in the 2023-24 National Hunt Racing season

Gordon Elliott is still in the process of rebuilding his career after that shameful photo of the Irish trainer sitting on a dead horse at his Cullentra House yard in County Meath went viral, and resulted in him being slapped with a deserved ban.

As well as having his license vetoed for 12 months, six of which were suspended, Elliott lost some of his best assets to rivals Henry de Bromhead and Willie Mullins — including eight horses from esteemed owners Cheveley Park Stud.

He’s rising back through the ranks, however, enjoying three winners at last year’s Cheltenham Festival — and Elliott will be hoping to build on that by having another good season and extending his record of 37 victories at the prestigious Prestbury Park meeting in March.

That said, let’s take a look at some of the horses from the Irishman’s powerful stable that are worth looking out for this season.

Gerri Colombe

With the potential to be one of the best chasers in horse racing today, Gerri Colombe is Elliott’s trump card this season — and he will be hoping the seven-year-old can land him the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March.

Elliott’s only victory in the sport’s biggest race came back in 2016 when Don Cossack romped home, but Gerri Colombe has a great chance of adding a second Gold Cup to the trainer’s CV and is already the second favourite in the market for the prestigious race.

Gerri Colombe’s only career defeat came at last year’s Festival when he was stunned in the Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, but he has bounced back twice since and his win on reappearance in the Champion Chase at Down Royal earlier this month was very impressive.

Teahupoo

Teahupoo has a fairly respectable record as a hurdler, with eight wins in 13 attempts over the smaller obstacles, despite being just six years of age.

However, what he’s perhaps best known for is becoming the first horse to beat the great Honeysuckle — as he won the Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle last December with the star mare back in third.

Teahupoo was later a close third in the Stayers’ Hurdle at the Festival as his stablemate Sire Du Berlais landed the spoils, but he’s the 11/1 favourite for the top-level contest this season — and another win in the upcoming Hatton’s Grace Hurdle could see those odds shorten.

Delta Work

Gordon Elliott has dominated the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham in recent times, with Tiger Roll (x3) and Delta Work (x2) winning five of the last six renewals of the marathon contest.

Elliott boasts the top three in the ante-post market at the time of writing, with second favourite Delta Work seeking a third straight win in the three-mile, six-furlong event.

It’s last year’s second, Galvin, who leads the market at the time of writing, but Delta Work seems to just love it around the Cross Country course at Cheltenham, and you can never rule him out.

Brighterdaysahead

An exciting novice hurdler in Elliott’s ranks, Brighterdaysahead won two bumpers earlier this year and has made a smooth transition to life over obstacles.

The four-year-old won a maiden event by an impressive 10 lengths at Thurles in October, and she took a massive leap forward when landing the Grade 3 Feathard Lady Mares Novice Hurdle at Down Royal earlier this month.

Brighterdaysahead has already been installed as the favourite for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Festival, and she might take all the beating based on what she has shown thus far.