The €850 ‘dream horse’ Hewick has already earned more than €400,000 and will bid to add to his haul in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup and Randox Grand National, though the impact he has had for trainer Shark Hanlon extends far beyond prize-money.
An incredible rise through the ranks in 2022, which included victories in the Bet365 Gold Cup and Galway Plate, as well as an agonising final-fence exit in the Kerry National when looking set to carry topweight to success, endeared Hewick to the racing public, and his reputation soared again when capturing the American Grand National at Far Hills in New Jersey in October.
That victory – and the publicity it generated – has resulted in a significant increase to Hanlon’s string, including the addition of Cape Gentleman who has been bought with the £1 million Grand National in mind for a relative of the owner of the 1923 winner Sergeant Murphy.
Hewick, understandably, was the initial target for Cape Gentleman’s new owner, but after an offer was turned down before the horse’s star ascended further with victory in America, an order was placed with Hanlon to find another Grand National contender.
Hanlon, speaking at an event on Wednesday organised by the Jockey Club, explained: “After he won in America the owner got onto me saying he wanted a horse for the English National and that his great grandfather had won it in 1923 and they wanted to go back for it again.
He added: “The people who own him have a box taken at the line at Aintree for this meeting, so I think there's 30 of them coming over from America for it and we're going to have a good day, win lose or draw.”
Hanlon will be getting used to entertaining American owners with Hewick’s transatlantic success – and the celebrations it prompted – capturing the imagination of a host of American owners who were keen to join in the fun at the yard.
He said: “I'm after getting probably 15 or 16 new American owners out of the trip. We registered, I think, 18 to 20 sets of colours in December for new owners. Our business has after going [up]. We were always around 25-30 horses and we're gone up to 60-plus now."
Given everything Hewick achieved in 2022 it’s easy to forget that he’s only recently turned eight, and Hanlon is hoping that there could still be more to come from his stable star who will go straight to the Gold Cup - ground permitting - with the Grand National following on from that.
“In America we left him over there for 17 or 18 days because the weather over there was beautiful. He was out in the field every day and back in at night, and when he came back to me he was 40 kilos heavier than he was when he went over - he did a real good thrive.
“Then we brought him back up to Naas to the chap that owns him and he minded him well and he's definitely come back the strongest he's ever been. I'm very happy with him - I couldn't be happier with him - and he's been riding out for the last ten days at home and I think he's after improving.”
The Grand National at Aintree, for which Hewick is a 25/1 shot, is a far cry from the American version, which takes place over two miles and five furlongs, at level weights and over obstacles more like fixed-brush hurdles than fences. However, Hanlon believes that Hewick, who is likely to be towards the head of the weights, has what it takes to excel around Aintree.
“I don't think weight bothers the horse,” suggested Hanlon. “If you go back to the Kerry National everyone said he had no chance as he was giving a stone, a stone and a half, to everything and he was unlucky he fell [at the last], other than that he would have won. I'm not worried about the weight.”
He added: “The best run he had of the year was the Bet365 Gold Cup and that was over three and a half miles. The further he goes the better. He has a great cruising speed and he doesn't stop. The key factor is good ground. He likes good, good to yielding ground. If the ground ended up soft at Cheltenham I'd probably have to think about taking him out because Liverpool is so near.”
What will help Hewick’s chance of staying the extended trip of more than four and a quarter miles at Aintree – and cope with the preliminaries in front of a packed house – is his laidback nature.
“He is the most relaxed horse you ever saw in your life,” explained Hanlon. “He knows he's good, he's a poser. If someone came into the yard and wanted a picture he'd stick his head out over the door and prick his ears. We've had plenty of people calling it to take a look and have a photo. He's after being a dream horse.”
To further illustrate how the public have taken Hewick to their hearts, Hanlon recounted the reception the horse received after his late fall in the Kerry National.
“I've taken my holidays in Listowel for the last ten years and would be well known around the town and [photographer and Listowel chairman] Pat Healy said when the horse came in the lower gate there were 300 down there to give the horse a clap in, so you can imagine that if he happened to win at Cheltenham or in Liverpool, we'd have a lot of support behind us.
“There are neighbours of mine who have never been racing who have tickets booked for Cheltenham, and they'll all be in Liverpool as well. It would be a dream [to win].
“He's given me the most thrill I've ever had…when you wake in the morning you pinch yourself to see if it's all true."
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