GROUND CONDITIONS ARE the chief concern for trainer Shark Hanlon ahead of Hewick’s bid for back-to-back wins in the Tote Galway Plate.
Victory in the €270,000 contest 12 months ago was the middle leg of a huge treble in 2022 for the eight-year-old, as he also landed the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown and the American Grand National.
He subsequently fell two fences from home when still in with a shout in the Cheltenham Gold Cup and has since returned to Sandown to win the Oaksey Chase and finished fourth in the French Champion Hurdle.
Hanlon is thrilled with his stable star’s condition ahead of his planned return to Ballybrit, but admits the prospect of carrying top weight in testing terrain is a worry.
He said: “Hopefully the ground will dry up a bit – we need to get the ground a bit drier.
“He’s in great form and everything, but he doesn’t want very soft ground. There’s nothing we can do about it, only wait and see.
“In fairness, the two-mile-six might be on the short side for the horse and a bit of cut in the ground might be a help to us, but you’re always afraid when it gets very soft.
“I couldn’t have the horse any better, but if they end up with heavy in the ground I couldn’t run him. Hopefully it won’t get to that.”
With his first-choice pilot Jordan Gainford sidelined by injury, Hanlon turned to Rachael Blackmore to partner Hewick in his last two races.
However, Blackmore rides Gabbys Cross for Henry de Bromhead, leading Hanlon to book Britain’s champion jockey Brian Hughes.
He added: “Brian is a great jockey and he looks after me when I go to England. I’m delighted to have him on board.”
Gavin Cromwell is looking forward to saddling Final Orders, who won five successive races over fences last season before finishing fifth in the Grand Annual at Cheltenham.
The seven-year-old fell in the Topham Chase over the Grand National fences at Aintree on his next start but recently proved his well-being with a Flat victory at Bellewstown.
Cromwell said: “He’s in great shape and I’m delighted with him. I would love if the ground was a little bit better, hopefully it won’t be too bad.
“We’re happy he’s in great nick and if he can get a bit of luck in running, hopefully he’ll be involved.”
Another high-class chaser who warmed up for Galway’s midweek feature with a victory on the level is the Barry Connell-trained Enniskerry, having bolted up by six lengths at Leopardstown in June.
However, his participation is also dependent on conditions.
“The big problem is the ground – if it comes up soft he won’t run,” said Connell.
“It’s unfortunate because he’s in the form of his life, he has a lovely racing weight (10st 7lb) and if it was good ground we’d be very optimistic about his chances.
“We have him in another race on Friday, so that’s an alternative if we don’t get to run on Wednesday.
“He won his beginners’ chase there last year, so we know he likes the track and he’s a second-season novice who is unexposed, so he ticks a lot of boxes.”
