Tag Archive for: John ‘Shark Hanlon’

Hanlon: Hewick in right spot for him at Sandown

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Rachael Blackmore partners Hewick when he attempts to strike at Sandown’s jumps finale meeting for the second year in a row, lining up in the bet365 Oaksey Chase.

Whereas last year John ‘Shark’ Hanlon’s versatile performer was scoring in the handicap feature over three and three-quarter miles, his performances since have earnt him a crack at the Grade Two on the card over a mile less.

The eight-year-old – who famously cost only €850 euros – has gone from strength to strength since his victory in Esher 12 months ago, winning the Galway Plate and American Grand National before running a huge race in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, where he was well in it before suffering a fall two out.

Having missed out on a tilt at the Grand National while recovering from his Prestbury Park exertions, Hewick was set to line up in the Punchestown Gold Cup earlier this week before conditions turned against him.

Instead he returns to Sandown for a race where he is 10lb clear of his nearest rival on ratings.

“The race is very suitable for him,” said Hanlon.

“I would have loved to have run him at Punchestown but the ground there is very tacky. I know they’re set to get a drop of rain at Sandown but I was talking to the clerk of the course and he said the ground would be like last year. So if it is on the soft side of good that will do perfectly.

“He was running a cracker in Cheltenham when he fell and I’ve tried to go down the option here of the easier route. I could have gone for the bet365 Gold Cup again, but I would be giving away two stone to everything.

“In this race it is the other way round and the opposition is giving me weight. They have to beat me this time whereas usually it’s the other way round. Take the top horse (Eldorado Allen), he is rated 12lb lower than Hewick, yet has to give him 2lb. I think the race is very suitable for the horse and he is in great form.”

Hewick has been ridden by Jordan Gainford in his six of his last seven starts.

However, with the young Irish pilot on the sidelines with injury, Hanlon has called up an old ally to deputise – having been one of the first to Blackmore’s talents at the fledgling stages of her career.

John ‘Shark’ Hanlon with Hewick during a visit to Shark Hanlon’s yard at Bagenalstown in County Carlow
John ‘Shark’ Hanlon with Hewick during a visit to Shark Hanlon’s yard at Bagenalstown in County Carlow (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

“We have Rachael Blackmore on board and I don’t think there is anything wrong with our jockey booking – we’ve got a great substitute,” continued Hanlon.

“It’s tough on Jordan because Gordon (Elliott) said he was available to go over, so it is very tough the way it has worked out. Hopefully he will be back in the saddle when we get back to Galway or somewhere.”

Kim Bailey’s First Flow and Joe Tizzard’s Eldorado Allen are next best on official figures but the biggest danger to Hewick could be the improving Solo who has seen the form of his Pendil Novices’ Chase victory franked in recent weeks.

The seven-year-old is one of two for Paul Nicholls alongside McFabulous as the champion trainer looks to win this contest for the fourth time in a row.

“Solo won the Pendil Novices’ Chase last time and the form has worked out well – the horse who finished second of Jamie Snowden won last week at Ayr. We’ve kept him fresh for this,” said the Ditcheat handler.

“McFabulous, his last two runs have been disappointing. He didn’t go on the soft ground at Kempton on Boxing Day. He pulled up at Newbury and had an irregular heartbeat for whatever reason, but he’s been fine since. But he has been out of sorts and has to bounce back from that.

“Solo I think will go very well in this, but I think Hewick is the one to beat.”

Topham runner-up Fantastic Lady represents Nicky Henderson, with the field rounded off by Gary Moore’s hat-trick-seeking Black Gerry – a winner of four of his six appearances this term.

“He’s governed by the ground but has done amazingly well this year,” said Moore.

“It won’t be easy for him and he wants soft ground really, but the trip will suit him well.”

Although Black Gerry may be an outsider in the Oaksey Chase, Moore holds a strong hand in the bet365 Select Hurdle with Goshen.

The enigmatic seven-year-old was a good winner of the Ascot Hurdle in November before finishing second to Paisley Park in the rearranged Long Walk Hurdle at Kempton. But he now has a point to prove following some below-par efforts since.

Goshen, ridden by Jamie Moore, goes on to win The Coral Hurdle at Ascot
Goshen, ridden by Jamie Moore, goes on to win The Coral Hurdle at Ascot (John Walton/PA)

“I like to think he has a reasonable chance,” said Moore.

“He hasn’t once been out of the money this year and I’ve done some stupid things with him – I’ve run him over fences twice and run him at Fontwell.

“He won’t be signing off because he will be running on the Flat if we have some soft ground next week, but hopefully he will be out in the field by June and July.”

Thyme Hill was a Grade One winner over fences earlier in the campaign but now reverts to hurdles for Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, while Nicky Henderson saddles both 2018 winner Call Me Lord and the likeable mare Theatre Glory.

Nico de Boinville and Theatre Glory return after securing Listed honours at Warwick
Nico de Boinville and Theatre Glory return after securing Listed honours at Warwick (PA)

The five-strong line-up is complete by Knappers Hill, who was a winner of a handicap last yearat this meeting and has performed adequately when handed some stiff assignments this term.

“If he gets two-mile-five he will go well I think. We have kept him fresh for this,” said Nicholls.

“He ran twice in a week back in February which was a bit too much for him really and then we’ve kept him fresh for this.

“He won over two and a half at Chepstow on debut this season and definitely has a chance. I guess it will be good to soft and that will suit him well.”

Cape Gentleman set to enjoy happy retirement in America

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Cape Gentleman will head to America to spend his retirement with owner Pierre Manigault having sustained a career-ending injury in the Randox Grand National.

Trained by John ‘Shark’ Hanlon, the seven-year-old was sent off at 100-1 for the Aintree marathon and was looking to follow in the footsteps of Sergeant Murphy who stormed to victory for Manigault’s great uncle, Stephen ‘Laddie’ Sandford in 1923.

Despite taking to the unique jumping test the famous spruce presents, Cape Gentleman struck into himself in between obstacles and was swiftly pulled up by jockey Jody McGarvey before the 14th.

Trainer John shark Hanlon is the trainer of Cape Gentleman
Trainer John shark Hanlon is the trainer of Cape Gentleman (Niall Carson/PA)

Cape Gentleman was transferred to Liverpool Equine Hospital post-race and Hanlon has confirmed that although the gelding will not race again, he is set for what will be a happy retirement with his owner in South Carolina.

“He’s gone to the clinic in Liverpool and he will be operated on. His racing career is finished, but he will be saved,” said Hanlon.

“He will be coming back to me for five or six months and then he is going on to America to be retired with his owner.

“He is a very good owner and it is the first horse I have had for the man and we were all very upset yesterday. But he still had his head with him and he wanted the horse to live and said ‘we have plenty of land, he can have a good life over with me’. It’s a very good outcome.

“I would probably like to be out there myself because there is probably more sun than there would be in Ireland. I would say it is a good retirement and fair do’s to the man who owns him for allowing it to happen.”

Hanlon was also keen to stress how the injury sustained by Cape Gentleman had little to do with the race itself and was simply an unfortunate incident which could have happened anywhere – while also praising the veterinary team on-site at Aintree for their swift action and care.

“He stuck into himself, it wasn’t over a fence, he had jumped brilliantly,” continued the trainer.

“It happened on the flat and that could happen out in the field at home. It was nothing to do with the race, it could happen in your own field.

“The very minute the horse got hurt the vets were there with him. He was brought back into the stable yard, he was bandaged up and was in no pain and then taken to the clinic. From the moment the horse got his injury, the horse came first as it should.

The Irishman was also keen to condemn the animal rights activists who delayed the start of the National by almost 15 minutes.

Hanlon added: “It probably shouldn’t have happened (the protests), but listen you had thousands of people watching the Grand National and you had 150 eejits trying to stop it.

“That’s my thoughts on it and no matter what game you are at you are going to have begrudgers and those who don’t understand it. Definitely the people who were doing that yesterday don’t understand racing and don’t understand how these horses are cared for.

“Overall the last three days in Liverpool were absolutely brilliant and it is a credit to Aintree the way they had the ground and the way everything was done.”

Hewick in ‘great old form’ – but Hanlon on Gold Cup weather watch

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John ‘Shark’ Hanlon says Hewick is “better than he ever was” – but will make a last-minute decision on whether or not the American Grand National winner will run in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday.

The eight-year-old shot to prominence when landing the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown in April last year and followed up winning the valuable Galway Plate.

He then looked poised to add the Kerry National at Listowel to his CV, only to unseat Jordan Gainford at the last. But he earned compensation when taking the American Grand National at Far Hills, Maryland.

He has not run run since that success in October and after his final piece of work on the sands at Woodstown Beach in Waterford on Sunday morning, Hanlon was more than satisfied with his preparation.

However, while he is not cowering at the prospect of taking on the likes of Irish Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs, last year’s victor A Plus Tard and King George hero Bravemansgame in the blue riband, he is concerned about the potential for soft ground this week.

“We’re just coming off the beach and he is in great old form,” said Hanlon. “We just have to keep him fresh now.

“The ground is the only thing. That’s the only thing I’m afraid of. I’m hoping you won’t get a lot more rain over there.

“He is a much better horse on good ground and he’d handle good ground where other horses wouldn’t.”

Hewick is also entered for the Randox Grand National at Aintree on April 15, where he is due to shoulder joint-top weight of 11st 12lb along with last year’s runner-up Any Second Now and dual Grade One winner Conflated.

Hewick is a general 20-1 for the Gold Cup and 25-1 for the Grand National, and the Bagenalstown handler says he would not mind which race Hewick won, though his chance would improve with a sounder surface than is forecast at this week’s Festival meeting.

“You don’t want to leave his race at Cheltenham with the National only four weeks away,” added Halon.

“We have to think of everything. But we are bringing him over on Wednesday morning and we’ll make a decision on the morning (of the Gold Cup).

Shark Hanlon says Hewick is in ripe form ahead of Friday's Gold Cup
Shark Hanlon says Hewick is in ripe form ahead of Friday’s Gold Cup (Lorraine O’Sullivan/PA)

“He’s in great form and I think he is better than he ever was. Everything went well with his preparation.

“Any of the two races will do us now. The National is something you dream of all your life, but a Gold Cup would be very special, so if we could be placed in it, we’d be very happy.

“The Gold Cup is the purists’ race, while the National is the people’s race – and he’s the people’s horse.

“He has a lot of weight for the National, but he’s carried a heavy weight everywhere he went before and he managed it, so I’m not over-worried by it.”