Shark Hanlon purchased Hewick for €850 and has since gone on to win over £430,000 in prize money; victories include the Galway Plate, American Grand National and the Oaksey Chase; Watch the French Champion Hurdle at 2:15pm, on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Racing
Friday 19 May 2023 14:08, UK
John 'Shark' Hanlon has enjoyed a globetrotting adventure with his stable star Hewick and he's quietly confident of another major victory in Saturday’s French Champion Hurdle.
The eight-year-old has won over £430,000 in a spectacular two years that includes victories in the bet365 Gold Cup, American Grand National, the Galway Plate and most recently the Oaksey Chase at Sandown.
As an €850 buy, it's even more remarkable a feat given he was set to run a big race in last season's Cheltenham Gold Cup before falling at the second-last fence.
"He's definitely great for racing and he's been our star for a long time," Hanlon told Sky Sports Racing. "For all the young lads in the yard, he's a star and we're so lucky to have him. Anytime we ask a question of him, he's never too far away.
"He hits a flat spot in every race and he was hitting that spot in the Gold Cup. Jordan [Gainford] said he was coming back on the bridle before the fence and that was the reason he fell.
"There's one thing we know about the horse, he would've been staying up until the top of the hill.
"Rachael [Blackmore] was very good on him. Jordan was very unfortunate with injuries so I'm very lucky to have a good sub like Rachael to take over."
It's a different kind of test facing Hewick and Blackmore this time, with the extended distance similar to the Gold Cup, likely on watered, soft ground.
That would dent the chances of Hanlon's star who typically enjoys better Going, but the larger hurdles in France could well prove to be a positive.
In opposition include a Willie Mullins' quartet featuring Grade One winner Klassical Dream, Kilcruit and Asterion Forlonge, as well as Feronily and dual Stayers' Hurdle hero Flooring Porter for Gavin Cromwell.
"We schooled him this morning in Chantilly," he added. "He went down and jumped 10 or 12 hurdles and he never made a mistake the whole way.
"The hurdles over here and America are neither a hurdle or a fence.
"People are saying the ground and it's not ideal but we walked the track an hour ago. We were saying it's lovely and on the soft side of good but then they went on and watered it!
"The less water I see on it, the better but we're here and we have to take our chance.
"It's a very good race, you have half the field that is Irish and you have an English horse in it - Willie [Mullins] has four in it and they are never too bad.
"Then you have Flooring Porter as well and the horse that won it last year so there's going to be plenty of pace in the race.
"There'll be no hanging around and if you miss a hurdle you'll be in trouble so any of Willie's four could win.
"The only thing that would bother me is if they overwater the ground. That's the only thing I'm afraid of but he's here, he's in great form and he'll be knocking on the door.
"The winner and the second the last day are in it and it's a real good competitive race. Emmet [Mullins] has one in it and we don't know how good he is because he's a young horse.
"It's a wide-open race but I think we deserve to be here, the trip is ideal and with the underfoot it might be more and we know he stays."
Watch the French Champion Hurdle on Saturday 20 May, live from Auteuil on Sky Sports Racing.
