Hewick gearing up for French Champion Hurdle challenge

Galway Plate repeat also on Hanlon’s mind.

Hewick will head to the French Champion Hurdle at Auteuil next Saturday with Shark Hanlon keen for his chasing star to continue his globetrotting exploits.

Last season’s winner of the Galway Plate, American Grand National and Oaksey Chase at Sandown, the eight-year-old will line up in the Racing TV Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil next weekend with Rachael Blackmore continuing to deputise for Jordan Gainford.

Trainer John ‘Shark’ Hanlon is hopeful he will make the cut for the three-and-a-quarter-mile race.

He said: “We are going to Auteuil. I think the race suits him. He will stay all day, so the trip won’t be any problem and the fences are like the hurdles in America.

“The only reason I don’t run him on soft ground over fences is that the fences look so big for a small horse and it is hard to get out of the ground.

“Hopefully he will get in. There are 20 entries. I should imagine we’ll be OK, as a few might come out and they ran 13 in the race two years ago.

“The pot is EURO 390,000. That’s the reason we are going there and the reason we went to America – because of the pot.

“It is lovely to have winners in Ireland and England, but when you have a horse like him, you try to make the best use of him you can.”

Having been bought by Hanlon for a bargain EURO 850, the TJ McDonald-owned Hewick has picked up almost GBP 440,000 in prize money, having shot to prominence when taking the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown last April.

Though a faller when in contention for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, a return to Prestbury Park is on the cards in 2024 and Hanlon hinted a trip to Japan for the Nakayama Grand Jump is a possible target next April.

Hanlon said: “Nakayama could be on the agenda for next year. You don’t mind travelling because he is a very good traveller.

“Sometimes you can’t travel with horses because they don’t like it, but he does. You could put him in your pocket and bring him with you!

“We will go to Auteuil and the Galway Plate is on the cards again. We’ll probably go back to America, and then maybe he’ll get a break.

“We will do something like last year, maybe give him a run at the Dublin Festival in February and then to Cheltenham in March again.

“People are saying to me, ‘are you going to give him a break?’, but he’s only just off a break.

Jordan Gainford will keep the ride on Hewick
Jordan Gainford will keep the ride on Hewick (Nigel French/PA)

“While all the other horses were racing in the winter, we were on a break. He just loves his racing and he was very good at Sandown.”

Blackmore, who powered Hewick to success at the Esher track, will keep the saddle warm for Gainford, who has not ridden since being unseated from the Gordon Elliott-trained Perfect Attitude in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel Hurdle at Punchestown on April 26.

Hanlon added: “I feel very sorry for Jordan, because he made the horse for me.

“I have a very good sub. Rachael started with me and we have a long-term relationship. I’m very lucky and delighted to be able to get her.”

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