Shark Hanlon’s Hewick stayed on best in an incredible renewal of the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day to deny Bravemansgame a second consecutive triumph.
Hewick, who was sent off a 12/1 shot in the hands of in-form rider Gavin Sheehan, went from last to first to win his first Grade 1 honour with an astonishing display of grit and determination from well back behind the leaders.
Frodon led from the front before tiring towards the final stages when he was joined by Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin, who unseated Nico de Boinville at the second last fence where it looked his race to lose.
Market leaders Allaho and Bravemansgame looked to be shaping up for a nail-biting finish heading towards the final-fence before Hewick came storming down the outside of the pair to win by over a length.
Hewick touched 660/1 in running on the exchanges but defied all the odds to become the sixth Irish-bred winner of the King George in the last 22 years.
🚀 INCREDIBLE!!!!!
Hewick comes from the clouds in a dramatic finish G1 King George VI Chase to give @jhanlonracing & Gavin Sheehan victory in the @kemptonparkrace feature pic.twitter.com/J0UoJh6Eeu
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 26, 2023
Shark Hanlon’s eight-year-old was bought for just €850 as a two-year-old. Six years later this looks to be one of the greatest return on investments in horse racing history, with the son of Virtual accumulating over £600,000 in prize money.
According to horse racing betting sites, Hewick is now available at as short as 16/1 to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2024.
Owner TJ McDonald was gifted the best Christmas present he could’ve asked for as Hewick added the Grade 1 feature to his cabinet which includes the Durham National, bet365 Gold Cup and Galway Plate.
Speaking to ITV after the race, Sheehan said:
“Well, put it this way. If it wasn’t the King George I probably would’ve pulled up. I knew he stays and stays. He’s probably the smallest horse here, but he has the biggest heart.”
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
