Faugheen and The New One may have shorter odds than Jezki for next week's Champion Hurdle, but Jessica Harrington says her defending champ should be even stronger than at last year's Cheltenham Festival.
Prestbury Park with be thronging with Irish enjoying their annual pilgrimage to the Cotswolds from next Tuesday, and Moscow Flyer former trainer told Ivan on Newstalk's Breakfast today that the seven-year-old Jezki has improved.
Harrington, who will appear at a Batdaq-sponsored Cheltenham preview night at Café en Seine in Dublin this evening, said: "I'm very happy with [Jezki], he seems even stronger this year."
The Commonstown boss also insisted that defeat by Hurricane Fly at Morgiana Hurdle over the Christmas will "not affect" her charge, and agreed that the seven-year-old is a 'spring horse' so Cheltenham is perfectly timed. "It's very hard to know [but] on heavy ground and soft ground he does struggle," she said.
Harrington also gave some insight into some other Cheltenham hopes, revealing that Nicky Henderson is "very happy with Sprinter Scare" for the Queen Mother Champion Chase, while Barry Geraghty has a fancy for Josses Hill in the Arkle.
Newstalk's Kieran Cuddihy also brought us a behind-the-scenes report from Noel Meade's yard, Tu Va Stables, the home one of the favourites for this year's Gold Cup, Road To Riches.
@BreakfastNT's @kierancuddihy speaks to Noel Meade's stablestaff at 9:20am ahead of the @godolphin Irish Stud & Stable Staff Awards
— Horse Racing Ireland (@GoRacing) March 5, 2015
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