Racing

Shark Hanlon opts for Jordan Gainford to ride Hewick in Cheltenham Gold Cup

Wexford jockey scored at 2021 festival aboard The Shunter for Emmet Mullins

Jordan Gainford riding Hewick to victory in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown. Photograph: Nigel French/PA

Brian O'Connor
Tue Mar 5 2024 - 16:16

It’s been almost a year since Jordan Gainford has ridden Hewick in a race, but the 22-year-old jockey will be reunited with the diminutive star when it counts most in next week’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Trainer ‘Shark’ Hanlon confirmed on Tuesday he has opted for Gainford to ride the popular horse, overlooking the claims of both Gavin Sheehan and Rachael Blackmore.

It is a major boost for the Wexford rider who missed out on Hewick’s dramatic victory in the King George VI Chase at Kempton over Christmas after fracturing two vertebrae in a fall just days beforehand.

Following Gainford and Hewick’s exit at the second last of last year’s Gold Cup, when still in contention, injuries meant Blackmore stepped in to win on the horse at Sandown, and also rode him in the French Champion Hurdle.

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Brian Hughes was in the plate when Hewick appeared in last summer’s Galway Plate.

However, Hanlon has been reassured by Gainford’s performances since returning to action recently and is hoping loyalty will get rewarded at the festival.

“I spoke to Gavin last night to tell him. He’s done nothing wrong and gave the horse a great ride [at Kempton] and he might ride him again one day. But Jordan is back and has ridden a couple of winners, and in fairness, he made the horse for me. So, I think it would be only manners to let him ride next week,” Hanlon said

“He was down here yesterday to sit on the horse and at that stage he didn’t know if he was riding the horse or not, but he came down and schooled him. Jordan knows the horse well, the horse travels for him, and I’m delighted to have him on board.”

Hewick is a general 20-1 shot to supply one of the fairy-tale Gold Cup results. The horse bought by Hanlon for just €850 ran a stormer on soft ground before tipping up in last year’s blue riband and connections are keeping everything crossed that next week will be dry in Gloucestershire.

Some bookmakers are going 4-7 about next week’s festival starting on officially ‘good to soft’ going, although Cheltenham is renowned for drying out quickly.

Gainford burst to prominence at the 2021 festival when he guided The Shunter to success in the Paddy Power Plate for trainer Emmet Mullins.

Having landed a pair of Grade One prizes on Gerri Colombe last season, he was just denied in the Brown Advisory when losing a photo finish to The Real Whacker.

His boss Gordon Elliott is set to use Gainford extensively next week with likely multiple entries in races.

With defending champion Constitution Hill out of the Unibet Champion Hurdle, Elliott has indicated his preference for Irish Point to run in Tuesday’s two-mile championship rather than wait for the Stayers a couple of days later.

“He’s a classy horse, I think he’ll run a big race. The track will suit him and the ground, being a bit soft, I think will suit him,” said Elliott.

“The favourite [State Man] is going to be very hard to beat but you should never be afraid of one horse. He hasn’t many miles on the clock, and I think the race could suit him, I’m keen to run him.”

Constitution Hill’s absence is a blow to the home team with just a pair of cross-channel based horses clearly currently topping ante-post betting lists at the festival. They are Nicky Henderson’s Sir Gino in the Triumph Hurdle and Crebilly for Jonjo O’Neill in the Plate.

In other news, Aidan O’Brien dominates the market for opening Classics of 2024 at Newmarket after Tuesday’s latest entry stage for the Guineas.

City Of Troy is odds-on for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas while Opera Singer is a clear 5-1 market leader for the 1,000.

O’Brien has enjoyed a successful international start to 2024 with lucrative wins in both the US and Saudi Arabia. His next major international target is the Dubai World Cup programme at Meydan later this month.

“The plan at the moment is for Auguste Rodin to go to the mile and a half [Sheema Classic]. Luxembourg could go in the nine-furlong race [Dubai Turf] while Tower Of London could go in the two miles. Cairo could go in the nine-furlong too,” O’Brien said on Tuesday.

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor is the racing correspondent of The Irish Times. He also writes the Tipping Point column

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