Cheltenham via Far Hills - Hanlon plots audacious Gold Cup course for Hewick

Shark Hanlon has never been one to stick to scripts and the popular trainer is planning an audacious double that has never been done before with his stable star Hewick.

The American Grand National at Far Hills is next on the agenda for the seven-year-old following his unfortunate final-fence tumble in the Kerry National, after which he will not run again until the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Hewick was trying to defy top-weight and a career-high mark of 163 in the showpiece of the Listowel harvest festival and he might well have done so, had he not met the last all wrong and got rid of Jordan Gainford.

The American Grand National will be run at Far Hills on October 15 and it has been won recently by an Irish-trained horse.

Jury Duty did the business for Gordon Elliott and Robbie Power in 2018, while the following year Brain Power landed the spoils under Nico de Boinville for Nicky Henderson and Michael Buckley.

The prize-money has been beefed up this year from $150,000 to $250,000 and Hanlon has his eyes firmly fixed on it.

Hewick and Jordan Gainford after their Galway Plate successCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

He said: "We're all set for America, I organised all the transport the other day. It's going to cost about €20,000 to get him over and back, but there is a quarter-of-a-million pot so it should be worth it!

"We're all still sick about what happened in the Kerry National. Jordan said he thought he was all out coming down to the second-last but he gave him a squeeze after it and he came alive. It turns out he had loads left and I do think he would have won.

"We still haven't got to the bottom of him yet. He's still a young horse and didn't race much in his early days, so he's only going to get better and better."

That is why Hanlon wants to have a shot at the most prestigious prize of all.

He said: "He'll go to America and then he'll come home and we'll give him a break and freshen him up for the big one. We'll get him ready for the Gold Cup. Why not? His rating is high enough now to have a go. I do think there's more to come from him."

Asked how Hewick was following his Listowel tumble, the trainer replied: "There's not a scratch on him and he looks great. The race didn't even take that much out of him. He's in flying form."

Hewick, a general 33-1 shot for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, is available at 40-1 with Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook and Betfred.

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