State Man had been a 4-9 favourite to avenge his narrow defeat by the Gordon Elliott-trained mare at Punchestown last month and earn a third successive win in the big Leopardstown hurdle.

But the race turned into a no contest as 5-2 shot Brighterdaysahead followed her pacemaker stablemate King of Kingsfield over the opening mile with the Willie Mullins-trained favourite already close to a dozen lengths adrift in third spot.

Brighterdaysahead, ridden by Sam Ewing because of Jack Kennedy’s injury-enforced absence, moved into the lead just before the penultimate hurdle and, despite a slightly untidy jump at the last, went on to extend her advantage as State Man was pipped for the runner-up spot by 66-1 shot Winter Fog.

The victory gave Elliott his 100th Grade One triumph after earlier saddling his 2,000th Irish National Hunt winner.