A THOROUGHBRED racehorse who drinks Guinness and rocks up at his local is being backed to win the most prestigious jumps race of all.
Superstar Hewick has what it takes to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup, according to trainer John ‘Shark’ Hanlon.
Superstar thoroughbred Hewick loves a pint – and could be the toast of Cheltenham if he wins the Gold Cup
Hewick, an eight-year-old gelding, was bought for just £750 in October 2017.
Since then he has gone on to win more than £370,000 in prize money.
His major scalps over the past few months include the American Grand National (worth £111,000) and the Galway Plate, worth £136,000.
In his past five runs he has finished 1-2-1-UR-1, amassing a whopping £340,000.
And it could have been another £136,000 more had he not unseated Jordan Gainford at the last when looking to get the better of Busselton in the Kerry National last September.
Unlike most equine athletes though, he’s also partial to a pint.
Shark took Hewick into his local to celebrate his American Grand National win at the end of last year.
The trainer got some heat for the video – but says the horse is looking ‘a million dollars’ as he plots a path to Festival glory.
He told the Racing Post: “He looks unreal. He came back to the yard here before Christmas and I have never seen him looking better.
“Am I mad to think he has got a massive chance of winning a Gold Cup? If he gets good ground, I think he’s got every chance.
“We will give him a couple of bits of work from now until March, but I’m not going to run him beforehand.”
Victory in the Festival feature, won last year by A Plus Tard, is worth £350,000.
Cheltenham Gold Cup odds via Paddy Power
13-8 Galopin Des Champs
6-1 L’Homme Presse
8-1 A Plus Tard
8-1 Protektorat
8-1 Noble Yeats
9-1 Bravemansgame
10-1 Stattler
12-1 Conflated
20-1 Minella Indo
25-1 Hewick
33-1 bar
