Sheehan said: “Hewick is a brilliant ride to pick up and I’m really looking forward to it. The Grade One winning jockey has come in for the spare ride aboard the John ‘Shark’ Hanlon-trained eight-year-old after his regular partner Jordan Gainford fractured his T5 and T6 vertebrae during a fall at Naas earlier this month.Īnd despite Irish raider Hewick currently being a 14/1 chance with the race sponsor Sheehan is nonetheless excited for the ride aboard the gelded son of Virtual who was purchased for just 850 euros at the Goresbridge October horses-in-training sale back in 2017. With victories aboard Datsalrightgino in the Coral Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Newbury and Fugitif in the Virgin Bet December Gold Cup Handicap Chase at Cheltenham already secured this month the 31-year-old will now bid to cap it off with a first success in the £250,000 showpiece.
