JEZKI makes his long-awaited return to action in the twomile conditions hurdle at Navan this afternoon.
Jessica Harrington’s 2014 Champion Hurdle hero has not been seen in competitive action since beating old foe Hurricane Fly on his first start over three miles at the 2015 Punchestown Festival.
The JP McManus-owned nine-yearold was pencilled in for a potential comeback in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown tomorow week, a race in which he finished third to Hurricane Fly two years ago and last of four runners the previous season.
However, he instead makes his comeback at this lower level.
“I’m very happy with him at the moment and this race is for horses who haven’t won more than one since May 3, 2015. He hasn’t run since then, so he gets in,” said Harrington.
“It’s a good place to take him, he’s got to start somewhere and it’s a lovely race rather than starting him off in the Irish Champion Hurdle.
“We had him ready for Christmas, but he just got a little niggle before he was due to run, otherwise he’d have been out then. We want to get him out now and hopefully he’ll have another run before Cheltenham.”
Jezki holds multiple entries at the Cheltenham Festival, with the Stayers’ Hurdle seen as his most likely target at this stage.
The Milan gelding faces six rivals over two miles, with his owner JP McManus also fielding John Kiely’s top-class chaser Carlingford Lough, who himself has not run since winning the Punchestown Gold Cup last April.
This race should blow away the cobwebs ahead of his bid to win a third Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown on February 12.
Willie Mullins saddles useful hurdlers Renneti and Sure Reef, while Gordon Elliott’s Tombstone, the Charles Byrnes-trained Indian Monsoon and Alisier D’Irlande from Henry de Bromhead’s stable complete the line-up The champion trainer will be hoping that Arbre De Vie can put his best foot forward in the beginners’ chase.
A smart handicap hurdler, he is expected to come on from his Fairyhouse second on New Year’s Day, but will need to improve if he is set to challenge with Acapella Bourgeois, who seems to be slowly getting the hang of the chasing game, and Burgas is no mug either.
Mullins saddles C’est Jersey in the two-mile-four-furlong maiden hurdle in an attempt to make it third-time lucky after costing punters dearly here in December and again at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day when a painful 4/11 destroyer.
The money is likely to come for him again and he wears first time cheekpieces but there are less painful methods of finding if his reputation is all hot air.
If he fluffs his lines once more, Monkshood and Black Key are possibly most likely to capitalise.
The action gets under way with a Rated Novice Hurdle, in which Duke Cass is gunning for a four-timer. Cadeau Du Bresil ran all right at Limerick when beating Field Robin and Bosco Di Alco and there might be further improvement.
Thirsty Work landed a Leopardstown touch in a handicap and also looks progressive.
Top weight Violoniste has been prolific and goes for his fifth win on the spin in the Athlumney Handicap Hurdle, although he has been off since July.
His wins were in modest company across channel and he has been raised from a BHA mark of 87 to a rating of 118 on his Irish return.
I can let him run without my support here.
He probably wants better ground too.
The most likely winner here is Elliott’s Castlehume, claimer ridden when a close third behind Backinthesaddle and Broughton’s Star in a boys’ race at the Maze over Christmas and even from 4lb higher looks a bet under Jack Kennedy now.
Last year’s winner Edvardo is back again for the 80-109 Meath Handicap Hurdle where Elliott’s Calin Des Ongrais has, his chance on handicap debut, along wiith Slicker City and Silver Tara while recent Punchestown runner-up Mount Brandon attempts to go one better against such as Blackwater Bridgee and Eiri Na Casca in the concluding Blackcastle Handicap Chase.
