Shark prepping Hewick for National attack – but first is the Gold Cup

PA Sport Reporters
February 20, 2024 3:19 pm

Bargain-buy King George winner has eyes on remarkable big-race treble.

Shark Hanlon concedes King George hero Hewick is a worthy top-weight for this year’s Randox Grand National at Aintree.

The last-gasp Kempton winner has been handed 11st 12lb for the April 13 spectacular, putting him at the top of the 87 contenders for the extended four-and-a-quarter-mile contest.

A Cheltenham Gold Cup date awaits next month first, however, with Hanlon dreaming of a big-race hat-trick in the crown jewels of the staying chase calendar.

Hewick swooped late to win the King George at Christmas (John Walton/PA)

He said: “I knew he’d have top-weight. You have to expect that. He probably deserves top-weight.

“I think the trip will suit him. He’s going for the Gold Cup first and please God he comes out of the Gold Cup safe and if he does he’ll definitely head there (to Aintree).

“It’s a mighty day. It’s one of those days you look forward to all year. The National, the Gold Cup and the King George at Kempton – they’re the three big days in England aren’t they, so it’s great to have a runner there.”

While Hewick – who is one of 56 Irish-trained possibles – has proven himself at Grade One level and numbers the American Grand National on his CV, he is no stranger to major handicaps, with the EURO 850 purchase having prevailed off 11st 7lb in the 2022 Galway Plate after also landing the bet365 Gold Cup off 3lb less.

Hanlon feels conditions rather than weights are key for his contender, with the revised safety limit of 34 meaning there is just 20lb between Hewick and those who would be at the bottom of the field, with Latenightpass, Minella Crooner and Run Wild Fred all sitting on 10st 6lb.

He added: “The most important thing is that he gets good ground. With fewer runners in the race this year, there won’t be quite as much weight between us and the horses at the bottom. In previous years the difference could be a fair bit more and we’d be giving more away.

“He won the Galway Plate off nearly top-weight, he won the bet365 (Oaksey Chase at Sandown Park) off a big weight. It’s not that he’s not used to carrying top-weight and he carries it very well.

“All is great with him and he couldn’t be better. I’m very, very happy with him.”

Corach Rambler won the Grand National last April (David Davies/PA)

Last year’s winner Corach Rambler is off 11st 2lb this time for Lucinda Russell, having triumphed carrying 10st 5lb, with the second-placed Vanillier allotted 10st 8lb – just 2lb more than in 2023 – as he tries to turn the tables.

Conflated, one of a battalion of Gordon Elliott-trained entries, is second in the handicap on 11st 9lb while 2022 winner Noble Yeats is 1lb lower, with Emmet Mullins plotting a Stayers’ Hurdle spin at Cheltenham before another Aintree challenge.

Cotswold Chase winner Capodanno is the highest-weighted of Willie Mullins’ team on 11st 4lb – the same weight as Gary Moore’s Welsh National winner, Nassalam.

Nassalam could try to add to his Welsh National win at Aintree (David Davies/PA)

The John McConnell-trained Mahler Mission has been among the leading contenders for some time and has been given 11st 1lb, with other key names including Henry de Bromead’s pair of 2021 Gold Cup winner Minella Indo (11st 2lb) and Aint That A Shame (10st 9lb), who was a gamble in the race last year but trailed home well beaten.

Six fewer runners will go to post this year as part of safety changes made by Aintree, with the reduction in field size leaving some fancied names already needing a number of runners to drop out.

The Jonjo O’Neill-trained Monbeg Genius is one of six entries currently sitting on 10st 4lb with a number in the low 40s, which would have been sufficient in many other years to make the final field, while Panda Boy – one of four 14-1 co-second-favourites with William Hill, is rated 1lb below but at a number in the 50s.