CUP FOR €1M
Trainer eyes Cheltenham glory with horse that cost just €850
A HORSE bought for just €850 will take his career earnings to over €1million if he wins the Gold Cup at the Cheltenham Festival – and he could run in the Grand National too.
Hewick is looking to add a victory in one of the biggest races of the year to his impressive CV, which already includes a Galway Plate, American Grand National and last year’s King George VI Chase, which he won at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day.
Trained in Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, by John “Shark” Hanlon, Hewick has been the horse of a lifetime, giving the trainer some incredible days since being picked up at a sale “five minutes down the road” from Hanlon’s yard.
But a win in the blue riband at Cheltenham later this month would top the lot. And although it’s an exciting time for all involved with the horse, it’s also a nervous one as everyone just hopes they can get him to Prestbury Park in one piece – and that the ground is on the good side.
Hanlon, whose yard is now sponsored by Boylesports, told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “Excitement is building and fingers crossed now everything goes well. He did a little bit of work this week and he’ll do another little bit next week. If everything goes to plan we’ll be going to Cheltenham.”
The trainer, who was speaking shortly after news emerged that Champion Hurdle favourite and defending champion Constitution Hill had scoped badly and was a doubt for the festival, admitted it is a worrying time for trainers.
He added: “This is always the time to start worrying because the last two weeks before you go, if anything is ever going to go wrong, it’s going to go wrong then, but please God, we’ll keep the fingers crossed and it’ll be OK.
“The ground is a big, big factor for us. We’re after getting so much rain, it’ll have to get dry at some stage, won’t it?
“I’m in London here now and it’s not too bad. It’s a dry day anyway, but I was just looking when I was flying in and Jesus the water was lying in fields there. That would want to start drying.
“It’s a heartbreak now when you have a horse so well and fancy him so much, but we’ll wait and see.
“If they got three drying days in Cheltenham, sure the whole thing would dry up so I’m not over worried this week, but next week on
We’ll want it to start drying... I’ll be doing an un-rain dance
we’ll want her to start drying. I’ll be doing an un-rain dance.”
Hanlon is a neighbour of Willie Mullins, trainer of Gold Cup favourite Galopin Des Champs, who is aiming to win the race again following his victory in the 3 miles 2½ furlongs contest 12 months ago. But “Shark” is confident that his lad, who fell at the second last fence in the race last year, could take all the beating on the final day of the meeting.
He added: “If the ground comes up good, I’m very confident so I am. Listen, I know we have to beat Willie’s horse, but we’ll give him a run for his money.
“Galopin Des Champs looks the one we have to beat, but it’s a good race. Martin Brassil’s horse [Fastorslow] is a good horse, Paul Nicholls is sweet on his horse [Bravemansgame]. It’s a right good race, it’s a real good race so it is.
“Every horse that’s in there now, you could pick out five and there mightn’t be a stone’s throw between the whole lot of them.”
Hewick also has the option of running in the Grand National at Aintree next month after being handed top weight for the world’s greatest steeplechase in Liverpool.
And Hanlon is hoping to run his stable star in both races, but admits the weather and soft ground could force him to change his mind.
He explained: “I hope to run him in the two races. If things go right, he’ll
I hope to run him in the two races – the Gold Cup & National
run in both races. I just wouldn’t like to run him on soft ground in Cheltenham. If Aintree came good and Cheltenham came soft, I’d think we’d wait for Aintree.
“He carries top weight well. The weight is one thing, but 4m2f in a handicap would be a big ask for him to do but sure we’ll see.”
And Hewick isn’t the only horse that Hanlon has picked up for a couple of hundr ed quid, having paid just €700 for Skyace, who won the Grade 1 Mares Novice Hurdle at Fairyhouse in 2021, pocketing connections €59,000. She was sold for over €90,000 to new owners less than a year later.
“They don’t all have to cost €200,000 or €300,000,” concluded Hanlon.
Boylesports have teamed up with John “Shark” Hanlon as official stable partner ahead of the Cheltenham Festival and pledge to donate €100,000 to charity if Hewick wins the Gold Cup.