Almost one year has passed since 22-year-old jockey Jordan Gainford last rode Hewick in a competition. However, the duo is set to reunite for the pivotal Cheltenham Gold Cup next week. ‘Shark’ Hanlon, the horse’s trainer, confirmed this decision on Tuesday, choosing Gainford over both Gavin Sheehan and Rachael Blackmore in a significant vote of confidence for the young jockey from Wexford.
Even though Gainford had to miss out on Hewick’s memorable win in the King George VI Chase at Kempton over the Christmas holidays due to a fracture in two of his vertebrae, his recent performances have assured Hanlon. Last year, following the pair’s fall at the penultimate round of the Gold Cup, Blackmore filled in for Gainford and achieved victories at Sandown and in the French Champion Hurdle.
During the summer, Brian Hughes was in the saddle when Hewick competed in the Galway Plate. Hanlon, however, seeing Gainford’s successful comeback, is hoping that his trust in the jockey will be rewarded at the festival.
Hanlon relayed of his conversation with Sheehan, assuring his competency and the possibility of him riding Hewick again, yet emphasising that it was only appropriate to allocate Gainford for the upcoming competition considering he was instrumental to Hewick’s performance.
Hanlon indicated Gainford’s acquaintance and synergy with Hewick as key reasons behind this decision, expressing his delight in having him on the team.
Despite only having 20-1 odds of winning, Hewick, which Hanlon acquired for a mere €850, is anticipated to deliver a spectacular Gold Cup performance akin to the one it had on the soft ground before the unfortunate tipping at last year’s event. Everyone associated with the horse is hoping for a promising, dry week in Gloucestershire.
There has been speculation about the start of next week’s famous racing event, with several bookies predicting that it will kick off on ‘good to soft’ ground despite Cheltenham’s known capacity to dry rapidly.
In the previous year’s festival, Gainford drew attention when he led The Shunter to a win in the Paddy Power Plate, under Emmet Mullins’ direction. Subsequent to scoring twice in Grade One on Gerri Colombe during the last season, he narrowly missed out on a triumph in the Brown Advisory, losing to The Real Whacker in a very tight finish.
Trainer Gordon Elliott has signalled his intention to heavily utilise Gainford in the forthcoming week across numerous race entries. With last year’s champion Constitution Hill set to miss the Unibet Champion Hurdle, Elliott has expressed his inclination to field Irish Point in Tuesday’s events instead of the Stayers, taking place a few days later.
Elliott believes that both the field and the soft terrain will play to his favour. He said, “He’s an exceptional horse, and I predict a strong performance. The ground being slightly soft, I believe will advantage him.” He also pointed out that while State Man, the favourite, is a formidable opponent, the competition shouldn’t scare anyone off.
Missing Constitution Hill is expected to hit the local team hard. Despite this, only two horses based across the channel currently dominate the festival’s pre-race betting lists- Sir Gino, trained by Nicky Henderson in the Triumph Hurdle, and Jonjo O’Neill’s Crebilly in the Plate.
Turning to other related developments, Aidan O’Brien has taken a place in the front line for the first Classics 2024 of Newmarket, following Tuesday’s latest Guineas entry phase. City Of Troy is widely favoured for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas, with Opera Singer firming up the position of a clear leader for the 1,000 market at 5-1.
O’Brien has had a beneficial start to the 2024 season, bagging wins in the US and Saudi Arabia. His next big international target is slated to be the Dubai World Cup, to take place at Meydan later this month.
At present, the intention is for Auguste Rodin to participate in the one and a half mile race, the Sheema Classic. Luxembourg might compete in the nine-furlong race, known as the Dubai Turf, and there’s also a possibility for Tower Of London to partake in the two-mile race. Cairo might also join the nine-furlong race,” professed O’Brien on Tuesday.
– For up-to-date political analysis and discourse, tune into our Inside Politics Podcast
– Sign up to receive instant alerts and get the most recent news, analysis, and commentary sent straight to your mobile
– Follow The Irish Times on WhatsApp to stay abreast with the latest news.