Tag Archives: Cheltenham

Winning the Gold Cup Would Be Life-Changing

By Carine06 from UK – Champion Hurdle, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37285214

“Winning the Gold Cup would be life-changing” – Irish trainer Shark Hanlon shares his love for £800 horse Hewick with the chance of a Cheltenham and Grand National double.

John “Shark” Hanlon has admitted it would be heartbreaking if Hewick were not able to run because of the ground conditions at Cheltenham – but insisted if his fan favourite horse won the Gold Cup, then it would be life changing for the trainer.

Hewick was a sensational winner of the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day last year, adding to successes in the bet365 Gold Cup, Galway Plate and American Grand National before reaching a career pinnacle at Kempton.

Hewick and newly-named BoyleSports ambassador Hanlon are all set to travel over to Cheltenham next week for the prestigious four-day Cheltenham Festival with Hewick a 14/1 shot, according to the latest Cheltenham Gold Cup odds from the bookmaker.

The trainer has said it would be a career-defining moment were his bargain £800 win one of the biggest prizes in racing.

“The most important thing is that the rain stops and we get good ground,” Hanlon said.

“If we don’t get good ground, we are not going to run the horse. That would be heartbreaking because we are going to a Gold Cup with a real chance. We want the sun to come out, the breeze to blow, and we want good ground on the day.

“Hewick has taken us all over the world. We were in France, went to America and will go back, maybe go to Australia later in the year.

“For us to have a horse to win the King George was a big, big day, for me, my family, and for all the staff in the yard. And also for Ireland. It gave the whole of Ireland a lift.

“I wouldn’t say that it has been life changing but it has been a big help. The Gold Cup though would be life changing and we will go for the Grand National after that. We just have to keep our fingers crossed. To win a Gold Cup which we all grow up dreaming about would be utterly amazing for a small yard like me.”

Hanlon is going up against the big boys once again in the shape of the powerhouse yards of Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott from Ireland, as well as Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson in Britain.

Mullins and Elliott in particular have dominated Cheltenham in previous years and that shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

“It is impossible to take on those super yards in Ireland,” Hanlon added.

“We are working with handicap horses because we can’t get graded horses. We can’t afford to buy the graded horses. That is the big thing. Gordon has Gigginstown and three or four other very good customers.  Willie has them everywhere. I just hope one of them might come to me!”

BoyleSports announced it is teaming up with John ‘Shark’ Hanlon as his Official Stable Partner and will be closely following Hewick’s journey to Prestbury Park. If Hewick is successful in his bid for the Gold Cup, BoyleSports will donate €100,000 to the Irish Injured Jockeys (IIJ) and the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF) in the UK.

Cheltenham Open Meeting, England

PB140056H16th November, 2009 – Fierce winds and testing going challenged entries at Cheltenham’s Open meeting, reputedly the most important venue in the first half the National Hunt season in England. Each of the 3 days presented a feature race, the highlight being the highly competitive ‘Paddy Power Gold Cup’ which has been a high point in the racing calendar since 1960.

SURPRISINGLY, the Irish, with their impressive winning record at the Cheltenham Festival in March, had not won the Paddy Power Gold Cup or its equivalent for almost three decades but this year the Edward O’Grady trained ‘Tranquil Sea’ cast adrift his 15 rivals before the home straight to the sheer delight of the crowd. Jubilant jockey Andrew McNamara couldn’t hide his joy when the well backed 11-2 favourite came home four and a half lengths in front of ‘Poquelin’, with ‘Hold Em’ third and ‘Ballyfitz’ fourth. The seven year old bay travelled comfortably throughout the two and a half mile race to scoop the lion’s share of the £150,000 prize fund. More reasons to celebrate followed when two hundred people in the Club Enclosure took advantage of a full £30 ticket refund, promised to them if the Irish won the big race.

Friday’s hugely popular Countryside Raceday with its traditional country fair atmosphere featured the unique Glenfarclas Cross Country Steeplechase – a course combining hedges, banks and timber rails over a distance just short of four miles. Irish horses have dominated this race in recent times, this running being no exception. Favourite ‘Garde Champetre’ powered home to an outstanding success when given a confident ride by jockey Nina Carberry, beating stablemate ‘Headsontheground’. Sporting the well known green and gold colours of legendary gambler JP McManus and trained by Enda Bolger, ‘Garde Champetre’ follows in the footsteps of four times winner (2004 – 07) ‘Spotthedifference’, owned and trained by the same duo. Although ‘Garde Champetre’ may now return to Cheltenham for the cross-country race next month, he is not expected to run in the Grand National in April. Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=8878