WITH THE DUST settling on Hewick’s fairytale King George VI Chase victory at Kempton on St Stephen’s Day, Shark Hanlon has finally had time to take in what victory in the showpiece race means to a yard of his size.
Hewick’s name now sits proudly on the roll of honour alongside some of the greatest chasers to have raced, like Arkle, Pendil, Wayward Lad, Desert Orchid and Kauto Star.
He was already a Galway Plate and American Grand National winner, but a Grade One at level weights against a field full of previous top-level winners took his achievements to a new level.
A crack at the Cheltenham Gold Cup now awaits, having run well until falling late in the contest last season, but after seeing Galopin Des Champs bounce back to his best over the Christmas period, Hanlon would only take on last year’s winner on his preferred good ground.
“It’s only when you get home and look at the trophy and remember some of the greats who have won it, all the right ones, that you realise what he has achieved,” said Hanlon.
“Good ground is so important to him. He’s not a big horse and he needs good ground. With the way the weather has been the last two years, he has been very hard to place.
“Had the race been at Leopardstown, I probably wouldn’t have run. The only reason we went over was for the good ground and it was only just good enough.
“Willie’s (Mullins) horse (Galopin Des Champs in the Savills Chase) was very, very impressive though. I’m hoping by the time March comes around the ground is good because I don’t think anything will beat Willie’s horse on soft ground.
“If it’s soft in March, I’d probably wait for the National, because usually the ground in Aintree is fairly good.”
Hewick has bounced out of the race in great form and Hanlon feels the strong pace throughout enabled the gelding’s endless stamina to come into play.
“He came home out of the race 100 per cent, he’s fresh as a daisy and I could run him again today,” he said.
“In my opinion, they all went too hard. We have a horse who made the running in the Galway Plate and the Gold Cup, and to make the running in those races you’ve got to go hard – and he couldn’t lie up.
“I think they went a million miles an hour. You had Ryanair winners (Allaho and Frodon) and an Arkle winner (Shishkin) taking each other on – they were going a two-mile pace.
“They jumped off, went a real good clip and Gavin (Sheehan) said they quickened again from six out. They were taking each other on the whole way. It happens every time, you’ve really got to stay.”
Elsewhere Barry Connell’s Marine Nationale has the rest of his season mapped out after a perfect start to his chasing career.
The gelding was flawless in bumpers and over hurdles, winning two National Hunt Flat starts before taking three successive novice hurdle races last season.
The latter two of those performances were at Grade One level, firstly in the Royal Bond at Fairyhouse and then the Supreme at the Cheltenham Festival, where he was a superb winner ahead of Facile Vega.
His chasing debut came in a beginners’ contest at Leopardstown on 27 December, where he was steered by Michael O’Sullivan to a foot-perfect eight-and-a-half-length win.
The Irish Arkle, the Arkle and then the Punchestown Festival is the route drawn out for him and Connell reports the bay to be faring well as he moves towards his next engagement.
“We couldn’t be happier with the way he’s come out of the race,” the trainer said.
“He jumped great, never made a mistake and he seems to be in great nick.
“He’s had a couple of quiet days, he’ll start back riding out tomorrow and we’ll be building up to the Irish Arkle at the Dublin Racing Festival.
“From next weekend it’s only three weekends away, so it won’t be long at all coming around.
“The spin he had at Christmas should leave him spot on, it’s the exact same course and distance and the ground will hopefully be a bit drier, but he has proven he can run on any ground.
“We wouldn’t want to see him on bottomless but he’s probably a bit more ground versatile than we thought.
“He’s in a good place, he’s happy and we’re looking forward to him hopefully doing the same in Dublin and after that we’ll be on to the Arkle.”
