Hewick (16/1) beat Musical Slave and favourite Kitty's Light to win Grade Three bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown on Saturday for Shark Hanlon and Jordan Gainford; Hanlon: "He is a summer horse and he is only starting now."
Saturday 23 April 2022 16:28, UK
Hewick provided Ireland with another big-race success on British soil when running out an impressive winner of the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown.
Winner of the Durham National at Sedgefield in the autumn, Shark Hanlon's charge was pulled up on his return from a break in last month's Midlands National at Uttoxeter.
But back on a sounder surface for the traditional seasonal finale, the seven-year-old proved a different proposition in the hands of leading Irish conditional Jordan Gainford.
Step Back, winner of the race four years ago, gave a bold sight in front for much of the three-mile-five-furlong journey under amateur rider Lily Bradstock, but was a tired horse turning for home.
As he faltered, Hewick swept to the lead and never really looked in danger of being caught as he galloped all the way up the hill to score comfortably by eight lengths.
"The plan was to go home this evening, but the plan just changed!"
Musical Slave filled the runner-up spot, just ahead of 4/1 favourite Kitty's Light in third.
Hanlon said: "He is a lovely horse. He was very unfortunate at Uttoxeter and but for the loose horse there, I think he would have won.
"He was hitting the front and that is his strong point at home.
"He is a summer horse and he is only starting now. We will see a lot of him over the year in England, though there are no immediate targets."
Hanlon continued: "He's going to have plenty of weight wherever he goes, but he's a tough little horse. The ground on the last day was soft enough which wouldn't have been ideal.
"We've nothing planned, but all those long distance chases would be on the radar, he'll probably end up as a National horse at some stage.
"I think he's tough and you have to have a tough horse for the National and while he's not fast, he's got plenty of gears. He'll jump out there like a two-mile horse but he'll stay the whole way.
"The plan was to go home this evening, but the plan just changed!"
