‘People’s horse’ Hewick now aiming to raise the Aintree roof

Hewick has been one of the real fairytale stories of the last few years – and now the horse that cost just €850 could spark scenes of unbridled delight in the hallowed Aintree winner’s circle.

The stratospheric rise of the bargain buy turned people’s champion is already etched in racing folklore. But the story of Hewick and his trainer John ‘Shark’ Hanlon could have one more blockbuster chapter about to be added.

From lowly beginnings, the Hewick journey to the top began to gain traction somewhat remarkably at Sedgefield in the autumn of 2021 and ever since then it has been a one-way ticket to racing stardom, stopping off at the likes of Far Hills, Sandown, Galway and Kempton along the way.

“He’s a horse of a lifetime and no one will ever have a horse like him,” said Hanlon, whose ‘Shark’ moniker came about as a result of a hurling game he played in when he was 18 and who guided the early career of a certain Rachael Blackmore.

“He’s one of those horses you only come across once in a career. He’s a lovely, quiet horse and he does everything so straightforward.

“The day he won the Durham National was the start of the whole thing and from that day onwards, he hasn’t looked back. He’s become a people’s horse from there and we’ve had some great days all over ever since.

“We’ve had great days in England, Ireland, America – and we were unlucky in France when he was second in the French Champion Hurdle. He’s just a dream horse and he’s a gent to train as well.

“You never dream of some of the days we’ve had with any horse, as they always find a way to disappoint you at some stage, but the one thing about this horse is he has never disappointed me.”

It has not all been plain sailing, however, as the Hewick and Hanlon saga encountered a major plot twist when – having climbed to the top of the game with a thrilling win in the 2023 King George – an unexpected jolt appeared as Hanlon fell foul of the authorities.

Hanlon was handed an initial 10-month suspension, reduced to six on appeal, after being found to have acted in a manner that “caused significant prejudice to the integrity, proper conduct and good reputation of the sport of racing” with regards to the transportation of a dead horse from his yard last year.

It proved a testing time for the larger-than-life Irishman, with Hanlon admitting to being at his lowest ebb – dispersing many of his string while those remaining came under the temporary care of Tara Lee Cogan.

The one constant dragging County Carlow-based Hanlon – a neighbour of the mighty Willie Mullins – off the canvas during the dark days of despair was Hewick.

“When I had my spell on the sidelines, every morning you would wake up and you would be in bad form, but when you thought of Hewick he would put you back in good form,” said Hanlon, who although stationed in Carlow describes himself as a “Kilkenny man”.

“That is what this horse means and he kept the whole show going. He kept my two lads going and he kept Rachel (O’Neill, partner) going – and I lost my father in September but I think he kept him alive for two years, that’s the kind of horse he is.

“For me, my family and for everyone – the whole of the county, the whole of Ireland and even, I would say, nearly the whole of England – he’s been such a good and popular horse.

“It would be emotional if he could win the English National and Rachel’s father Ronnie O’Neill was big into the horse. He died only a month after my own father and was such a big supporter of ours the whole way. So Hewick running is a big thing for all of us.”

The Grand National has never been far from Hewick’s agenda and with a Durham and American National already in the Hanlon trophy cabinet, it is now time for the pint-sized veteran to fulfil a long-held ambition and tackle Aintree’s famous spruce.

Hanlon said: “We had this dream two years ago and we schooled him and he was brilliant and then he was running a cracker in the Gold Cup when he fell, so we had to give it a miss. This has been the plan for some time.

“There has only been one plan for this year and that plan has been in place for the last six months. The English National is the race we want and, please God, all we ask is a bit of luck now.

“He has won a bet365 Gold Cup over three-miles-five, so we think he’ll stay and that’ll be a big help.

“He’s a Grade One and King George winner going to the National and you don’t get many of those now. We’ll need luck in running, but it’s exciting.

“For one thing, there won’t be any American Grand National winners who have doubled up at Aintree – we’re trying to do the unknown, but we won’t lack for trying.”