Supreme favourite in 'fantastic' shape

Eamon Sheehy is looking forward to running his smart novice hurdler Justified in the Letheby & Christopher Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham next week.

The six-year-old is the 5-1 favourite for the opening race of the Festival on Tuesday, having hacked up by 14 lengths on his last outing in a Grade Two event in January.

Justified is also entered in the Royal & SunAlliance Novices’ Hurdle at the meeting, but Sheehy plans to run his charge in the race over the shorter distance of an extended two miles.

“He definitely runs in the first race on the first day,” said Sheehy yesterday. “He’s in fantastic shape.

“I’m looking forward to running him and the ground will make no difference to him whatsoever.”