Jezki

Jezki produced a classy effort to win the Grade 1 Royal Bond Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse on Sunday, he travelled strongly and he picked up really well off the strong pace. He is clearly a high-class novice hurdler.

His jumping was a little sketchy in the early stages, he was in a little tight and out to his left at both the second and third hurdles, and he was not completely convincing over the fourth either, but he warmed up nicely as the pace quickened and he was much slicker over the final four hurdles. He loomed up three wide on the outside of Champagne Fever and Misnk around the home turn, he was going best of that trio over the second last flight and he quickened up nicely between the final two without Barry Geraghty going for everything. He had to put the race to bed after the last as Champagne Fever was battling back well on the far side, but he did so quite impressively to win probably with more in hand than an official margin of a length and a half might suggest.

Jessica Harrington’s gelding was strong in the market beforehand, and he is a real prospect now. His tendency to be a little out to his left when he gets in a bit tight to a hurdle means that he should be even better going left-handed, and he should be better on better ground as well, as his pedigree suggests he will. This was his third win over hurdles and the form of his two previous wins is already working out nicely, he easily beat the smart Un Beau Matin on his previous run and Gordon Elliott’s gelding looked classy himself when winning a good race next time at Punchestown.

The Royal Bond has an illustrious role of honour and Jezki looks like a real two-mile hurdler and a live candidate for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.

2nd December 2012