Geraghty to step in for Jezki ride in Champion Hurdle

Barry Geraghty is set to step in for the ride on Jezki in the Stan James Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in two weeks time.

Tony McCoy has indicated he is likely to side with the other of owner JP McManus's Champion Hurdle hopes, My Tent Or Yours, at Cheltenham and Jezki's trainer Jessica Harrington is working on the basis that her old ally Geraghty will pick up an enviable 'spare' in a race he won on Punjabi five years ago.

“I assume Barry will ride Jezki. He rode him to win for JP at Punchestown last year,” said Harrington yesterday.

Geraghty is unbeaten in four starts on Jezki who is a 10/1 shot for the Champion. That tally includes a pair of Grade One’s including at Punchestown last April and in last winter’s Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse. The Geraghty-Harrington team have enjoyed huge success in the past, most notably with the triple-festival hero, Moscow Flyer.

Harrington also plans to run Jezki's brother Jetson at Cheltenham in the Pertemps Hurdle and has two other possible travellers, Steps To Freedom in the Grand Annual and Cailin Anamh who has entries in the Coral Cup and the Martin Pipe conditional hurdle.

“Both Steps To Freedom and Cailin Anamh are ground dependant,” she said.