Jezki building towards Cheltenham

Jessica Harrington feels the return to Cheltenham will give Jezki a sporting chance of upsetting the Willie Mullins big guns in the Stan James Champion Hurdle.

Jezki took the ultimate hurdling prize last season after being beaten by his old adversary Hurricane Fly on home soil and it has been a similar story this term, having suffered three defeats at the hands of the Mullins-trained legend.

This time, Jezki will have to face the young pretender from the Mullins camp, Faugheen as well as Hurricane Fly at Cheltenham next month.

But the Prestbury Park circuit and the likely better spring ground are expected to bring out the best in Jezki.

"He came out of the race really well. Because he made a mistake at the last AP (Tony McCoy) didn't give him a hard race," Harrington told At The Races.

"He had a week off, no saddle on him and now he's back cantering away and is in great order.

"He likes better ground and Cheltenham is a stiffer track than Leopardstown and that's what he likes.

"We'll just train him the same way we did last year.

"We went into the Champion Hurdle last year, finishing second and fourth in the two trial races at Leopardstown and we beat them at Cheltenham, so we'll see what happens."