Monday’s racing round-up brings the news that Golden Ace will likely head to the Mares’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival later this month…

Jeremy Scott has commented that Golden Ace will likely head to the Close Brothers Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival after it was revealed that Brighterdaysahead would run in the Champion Hurdle. The Jeremy Scott-trained mare beat Brighterdaysahead in the Mares' Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last season, but the pair look set to go their separate ways this year with connections of Golden Ace favouring to keep to mares company. Golden Ace was last seen getting the better of Burdett Road in the Grade 2 Kingwell Hurdle at Wincanton.

Jack Kennedy failed to find the winners' enclosure on his first two rides back after injury at Leopardstown on Monday. Kennedy, who had been on the sidelines since breaking his leg for the sixth time at Fairyhouse in November, finished third on his comeback ride aboard Gordon Elliott's Arabian Diamond before going one better to claim the silver medal spot on stablemate Qualimita in the mares maiden hurdle. Jack Kennedy will be a sizeable part of the Gordon Elliott team at the Cheltenham Festival this month.

Henry de Bromhead's Koktail Divin could head to the Aintree Grand National meeting after getting off the mark in fine style at Leopardstown on Monday. Following two good efforts over hurdles, which included a fair third-place finish behind Kawaboomga at Fairyhouse, Koktail Divin was sent off 8/11 under Rachael Blackmore in the Leopardstown Members Maiden Hurdle. The son of Masked Marvel travelled strongly throughout before picking up well in the straight to draw clear by six lengths.

"I'm delighted with that," said De Bromhead. "He had a lovely run at Christmas, but I probably messed up when we were under the weather in January," said De Bromhead.

"We'll have a look at Aintree, there are some nice races there for him."

European Champion Sprinter Bradsell has had his first mares scanned in foal including Final Rendezvous, a half-sister to Group 3 Pinnacle Stakes winner La Lune, and Lady Eleanor, a daughter of multiple stakes winner Firenze. Standing at the National Stud for £10,000 in his first season, Bradsell recorded back-to-back wins at Royal Ascot before going on to have a stellar season in 2024, which included authoritative top-level victories in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York and the Flying Five at the Curragh before a gallant second-place finish on unsuitable ground in the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp on Arc weekend.

National Stud General Manager Joe Bradley said: "Bradsell is being strongly supported in his first season with over 120 mares booked in to date, he has settled into stud life beautifully and is a really exciting addition to our roster."