
The €800 horse Hewick travelling to France for chance at huge pot
Hewick is off on his travels again as he bids to go one better than last year in the Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil, the French Champion Hurdle.
Shark Hanlon's 2023 King George winner finished second to Losange Bleu 12 months ago and the pair are on course to meet again on May 17.
Should he run well, then Hanlon will give serious consideration to another crack at America's Grand National Hurdle Stakes, which he won in 2022.
'We are definitely going to France. He is in great form,' said Hanlon, who also saddled Hewick to finish fourth behind Theleme at Auteuil in 2023.
'After France, he will get his break and we'll make a decision – I'd love to go back to America. I'll have talks with the owners and see what they want to do.
'There are a few good pots around this year too, so we will wait and see.
'We have no decision on who is going to ride him yet, we will sit down and talk about it.'
With regards the Auteuil feature, Willie Mullins has entered Il Etait Temps, who returned to action with a sensational win at Sandown on the last day of the season, while Joseph O'Brien could run Home By The Lee.
Sign up to our horse racing newsletter here to get news direct to your inbox.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Irish Times
17-05-2025
- Irish Times
Hewick aiming to make it third time lucky in French Champion Hurdle
The remarkable Hewick will try to make it third time lucky in Saturday's French Champion Hurdle at Auteuil. Runner-up to Losange Bleu in last year's Grande Course De Haies d'Auteuil, and fourth in the race in 2023, Hewick is back for another crack at the €390,000 feature, which is off at 3.25 Irish time and live on Sky. Even by the unlikely standards already achieved by 'Shark' Hanlon's €850 bargain buy during his career, victory in France's biggest hurdles contest might constitute a peak. He is the sole Irish contender in an eight-runner contest where local star Losange Bleu is favourite to defend his title. Benie Des Dieux was Ireland's last winner six years ago. READ MORE Also lining up is the Paul Nicholls-trained Monmiral, last year's Cheltenham Festival winner, who is part-owned by Alex Ferguson and has been supplemented into the race. Nicholls won the 'Grande Course' in 2016 with Ptit Zig. Cork-born jockey Gavin Sheehan is again on board Hewick, having guided him into eighth in last month's Grand National at Aintree. Sheehan's only other spin on the hugely popular veteran was when successful in the 2023 King George at Kempton. 'He's a wonderful horse. I said if he won the Grand National, they probably would have made a movie out of him!' Sheehan said. 'Having had that run last year and that experience will help. It's different racing over there, a different style. I've rode in it before and it's a straightforward track. The only difference is they have a hurdle on a bend. The drier the ground the better for him as well,' he added. Bookmakers rate Hewick a general 11/4 second favourite to challenge the odds-on Losange Bleu. Sunday's €900,000 highlight at Auteuil is the Grand Steeple-Chase De Paris, off at 3.05. There will be no Grade One jumps action in Ireland for more than five months, but the relentless National Hunt circus rolls into Wexford on Saturday. In the wake of Rachael Blackmore's retirement earlier this week, Darragh O'Keeffe continues to be busy picking up the bulk of rides for Henry De Bromhead, and Aspire Tower looks the one to beat in the novice chase. The last of O'Keeffe's six rides at Wexford is Pebble Bleu in the handicap chase, where the course hurdles winner Kiln Time has just a second start over fences. Inexperience is an obvious concern but a mark of 81 over fences looks exploitable for Harry Kelly's runner.


Irish Independent
17-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Globetrotter Hewick eyes French Champion hurdle glory as Ger Lyons can land Lacken success
Hewick has danced every dance in a thoroughly memorable racing career and John 'Shark' Hanlon's stable star bids to go one better when tackling the French Champion Hurdle (3.25) at Auteuil today.


Irish Examiner
12-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
Tributes for 'brave' Blackmore after superb career
Shark Hanlon provided Rachael Blackmore with her very first winner back in 2011 and paid tribute to the ground-breaking jockey who announced her immediate retirement on Monday. When Stowaway Peal won at Thurles in February that year, few could have predicted Blackmore would go on to count the Cheltenham Gold Cup, Champion Hurdle and Grand National among her big-race wins, although Hanlon never doubted her courage in the saddle. "From the first day she started with me she was an amazing girl. She was point-to-pointing at the time and what frightened me about her was she was so brave and I was afraid she'd get hurt," said Hanlon. "I remember asking her to go professional, she didn't want to and her parents didn't want to, but I said if it didn't work out she could go back (to being amateur). "The big thing she wanted to win was the point-to-point ladies' championship and I annoyed her because I took her out of that! That was her big aim though, no such thing as the Gold Cup or Grand National, just that title. "I'm delighted she went out on her own terms, she rang me just before she released it and it brought tears to my eyes, she has been so much part of our family over the years, my mother and father adored her. "She's an amazing woman. I was so lucky she came to me and I was able to provide her with her first winner. "She was so brave when she first started, she was like a spring when she fell, she used to bounce back up. I remember I got phone calls from people asking what I was thinking in asking her to turn pro but it's some story. "She won't leave racing because she loves horses, like us all. "The last big winner she had for me was Hewick in the Bet365 Gold Cup (2023) which was nice. "I'll never forget when my lad Paddy had first started here and he was on the gallop on a white pony and Rachael was leading. We have a nice picture of it, it's days like that you'll never forget." Patrick Mullins lived with Blackmore and her partner Brian Hayes for 10 years and said it was a "privilege" to see her career develop as it did. "I had a front row seat for the whole journey and it's been extraordinary and a privilege to watch," he said. "She did it all, I don't think anyone has done it better. Her race record stands up with any of the best jockeys. She rode as many Cheltenham Festival winners as Richard Dunwoody, which is incredible. "If you look back at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival when she had the six winners and was leading rider, I think she won a bumper, a hurdle, a chase from two miles to three miles. I think that week she showed she had the full array of talent and those four days were extraordinary - I don't think anyone has ridden Cheltenham better than she did that week. "Even this year, to come back from the injury and Henry's horses were running poorly when she came back, but she got to Cheltenham and put in two peaches of a ride aboard Bob Olinger and Air Of Entitlement. "She was a woman for the big stage, but made her name on the small stage. To get to where she was from where she came from was extraordinary and it won't be the same without her." Blackmore's famous Grand National success came aboard the JP McManus-owned Minella Times in 2021 and the owner's racing manager Frank Berry praised her achievements in the saddle. He said: "What can you say about her career? She's had an unbelievable career, she's done all things that everyone wants to do and she's a lovely person. "Winning the Grand National on Minella Times was an incredible day, she's won all the big races and she's retiring in one piece. I'm delighted for her." Blackmore twice finished second in the Irish jockeys' championship, finishing just eight winners behind Paul Townend in the 2020-21 season. He said: "I know Rachael as much as anyone with Jody (Townend, jockey sister) coming through in the sport and she smashed the barriers. "She won everything and gave me a big fright in a championship one season as well. She burst on the scene and had a relatively short career but then rode right at the top level. "She was amazing and I wish her all the best for the future."