The celebrations are continuing early into the week in New York and Bagenalstown for local horse trainer John ‘Shark’ Hanlon.
Having fallen short at the Kerry National, Hewick captured Irish and American hearts at the weekend by taking the American Grand National and a tasty $160,000 prize to match.
Bought at the Goresbridge sales for just €850, Hewick continues to defy the odds for the Carlow-based trainer and has amassed in the region of €500,000 prize money following the weekend’s win with Wexford jockey Jordan Gainford on board the seven-year-old. The win comes following a Sandown Gold Cup victory in April, followed up by taking the Galway Plate in July.
Speaking to KCLR in the wake of Saturday’s race, Shark says there are plans to celebrate Hewick’s return to Carlow.
“The horse is very good, the horse is ok, so we’re all just ecstatic over the whole thing. To come over here (to New York) with a little horse like him and to win this race means a lot to the yard and means a lot to me.”
“The horse won’t be back for a week or ten days but when we get back, we will organise a parade for the horse maybe down as far as the Royal Oak. We’ll be having a little party when we get back. I’m back myself tomorrow (Monday) but leaving again, going to the sales in Doncaster on Monday evening. But when the horse gets back we’ll have to do something. We might even go into the greyhound track in Kilkenny, bring the dog and the horse. That would be nice.”
