by Rarely, if ever, has a combination of high drama and high quality been seen to match the action that unfolded over a period of just over an hour here on Tuesday in a rat-a-tat sequence of three Grade One races at Kempton on Boxing Day. , and Hewick’s defeat of King George VI was, fittingly, the most impressive of all.
From the start, when the curious Shishkin jumped away from the field, to the final, booming echoes of trainer Shark Hanlon’s celebration in the winner’s enclosure, this was a race, and an experience, like no other. in the crowd of just under 12,000 there. never likely to forget.
Related: King George VI Chase: Hewick wins after Shishkin slips – as it turns out
The first gasps rose from the stands early on the first circuit as Frodon and Bryony Frost, the winners three years ago, flew some fences down the back from just inside the wings. Shishkin and Nico de Boinville then joined them for much of the next mile and a half, making strides and leaps until Frodon began to tighten with about a mile to run.
Shishkin was still in the lead as they turned home with three to jump and the hum from the stands began to turn into a roar. Allaho, the favourite, and Bravemansgame, were in pursuit and it looked like the “big three” in the betting were going clear and preparing to take him out to the line. Hewick, meanwhile, was the last of the six runners, off the stretch and seemingly going nowhere fast, so much so that after he got off at 12-1, he was matched at 549-1 runnable on Betfair.
The next turn came at the second last, where Shishkin jumped well, only to reach two paces later and dislodge his wheels, blocking Bravemansgame as he did so. The race now seemed to lose Allaho. But the green colors of Hewick and Gavin Sheehan, who had at least half a dozen lengths to spare at the second last, were suddenly closing in on the leaders.
Hewick was still at least two lengths down at the end, with only the short run in to come, but he was finishing so well – or, perhaps, the horses before him were stopping so quickly – that he swept past half-a. -a dozen advances to spare. Sheehan even had time to celebrate what he described as “Mikael Barzalona”, recalling the French rider’s delight on Pour Moi in the 2011 Derby.
It was just a hint of what was to come in the winner’s enclosure, with the elusive figure of John “Shark” Hanlon happy to welcome a horse he had originally bought for £800, after seeing off the better contenders from part of the team. Biggest stables in the game.
Some of the language was as colorful as the trainer, but Hanlon’s general mood could be summed up by his shout to the crowd “we haven’t been here long so we’re going to have a good time.” He also insists that while the Grand National at Aintree is likely to be the ideal target for Hewick, there is no way he can top the Cheltenham Gold Cup after winning the King George.
“Coming off the back, I said we’ll still be in the top three,” Hanlon said. “He’s a small horse but he has such heart.
“When you’re here [after the King George] you have to go for the Gold Cup and Cheltenham suits this horse much better because it’s three and a quarter miles tougher. A lot of the other horses had problems, and we came here fresh and had a great guy on board, and that was it.
“I never thought he should be 12-1 today. It doesn’t usually happen like this when you buy an £800 horse [but] as tough a horse as you would find in England or Ireland.”
Sheehan admitted that in any other race he would have been tempted to pull up on Hewick with as many circuits to run, but he realized leaving behind that his horse still had much more to give.
“I jumped two and I thought, this is not happening,” said the jockey, “and the further I went, the more I thought it’s not happening.
“I never felt comfortable, had no fluency, or thought I was going to. But he was still holding his pitch, and when I gave him two reminders, I began to feel a change of gear and a new horse beneath me.
“When Nico went down, I thought I was third, happy days. And down to the last, I thought the boys [in front] gone, it was a great feeling.
“Words can’t describe it, because you’re not going and all of a sudden you’re running into top horses like that, going to the last like a fresh horse. It was just huge to do that.”
Hill continues to climb to the top
The champion of today and the potential champion of the future provided impressive displays on the “undercard” here on Tuesday, as Constitution Hill, the best hurdler in training and perhaps the best of all, extended his career without breach to eight races. in the Christmas Game, 35 minutes after Il Est Francais made all the running to win the Kauto Star Novice Chase.
Constitution Hill’s victory was never in doubt, but the 1-12 favorite looked, if anything, more elusive than ever as he flew over the final two hurdles with ease. He was almost 10 furlongs clear at the line, and will have one more run at most before he makes his second Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham in March.
“I’ve never seen a single better jump and the big secret of all these two good milers … is the way they get from a to b,” Constitution Hill trainer Nicky Henderson said.
“We want to win the Champion Hurdle again. I would be very surprised if we don’t [try to win multiple Champion Hurdles].”
Il Est Francais’ performance earlier on the card recalled the days when French-trained fillies including The Fellow, First Gold and Jair Du Cochet were regular winners at this meeting.
There was just one mistake in a faultless round of show jumping, which left favorite Hermes Allen falling.
“The dream this season is to win the French Gold Cup [in late May],” said Noel George, who trains Il Est Francais near Chantilly in partnership with Amanda Zetterholm. “Then there’s King George here next year which we’d really be thinking about, but would he go to Cheltenham [this season]we would have to see.
“I thought James [Reveley, his jockey] he was going too fast, but he was just in his comfort zone.”
Autonomous Cloud can become very successful in the National
Plenty of rain is in the forecast for Chepstow ahead of the Welsh Grand National meeting on Wednesday, but with the ground described as quite soft overnight, it’s unlikely that there will be as many mud baths as there are. often the case.
That could favor a younger horse who is excellent and improving against veterans and sloggers, with Fergal O’Brien’s Autonomous Cloud (2.50) maybe the choice of the chasers second season.
He has closely matched Jonjo O’Neill’s Ironbridge on their form when first and second at Uttoxeter in March, but Autonomous Cloud has made a more promising start this season and his ability to continue to find more when needed to be valuable over Wednesday’s marathon trip. .
Cas-gwent 1.05 First Flow he was just 4lb behind the highly-stakes Boothill – a runner at Kempton later in the evening – when he returned to action at Ascot last month and will look set to cherish the return this to two and a half thousand.
Wetherby 11.50 Same 12.25 Abbey Hill 1.00 Gazette Bourgeoise 1.35 Banteer 2.15 Kabral Du Mathan 2.45 Cornerstone Lad 3.20 The Northernlights
Cas-gwent 12.00 Minella Blueway 12.30 Imperial Saint 1.05 First Flow 1.40 Classic Concorde (nb) 2.10 Burdett Road 2.50 Autonomous Cloud (nap) 3.25 Showbiz 3.55 Rocking Man
Kempton 12.45 Brookie 1.20 Sir Gino 1.55 Nickle Back 2.30 Boothill 3.09 Hidden Heroics 3.40 Lassue
Wolverhampton 5.00 Bomb Squad 5.30 Last Hug 6.00 Completely Random 6.30 Queensland Boy 7.00 Spanish Lady 7.30 Ice Shadow 8.00 Secret Sauce 8.30 Katar
Casgwent 1.40 A 6lb lift on the weights may not be enough to prevent the lift Classic Concorde following on from his win at Ffos Las last month. It was his fourth success in five starts and Connor Brace had more in hand than the margin of just four lengths would suggest.
Kempton Park 1.55 Nickle Back has made a great start to his chasing career and was six and a half seconds clear of Hermes Allen last time out when the winner ran a fine Grade One race here on Tuesday.
Cas-gwent 2.10 Burdett Road useful on the Flat and was a class above his rivals at Cheltenham last time. That was enough to make him a strong favorite for the Triumph Hurdle in March and should highlight his Grade One ability here.
Kempton 2.30 The first running of this race as a restricted handicap could go a long way for Harry Fry Boothill, is up just 3lb in the ratings for his two most recent victories in the hotly contested Ascot handicap so far this season.
Kempton 3.09 Online game Hidden Heroics It has taken a while to find his form this year but Dan Skelton managed to win his best race of the season at Ludlow last time out and is well on his way to a follow-up 2lbs higher.
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Kempton 3.40 Fergal O’Brien Lassue He has returned from an 18-month layoff in impressive form and was beaten less than a length when third in a useful contest at Ascot last time. She clearly does well with Jack Hogan’s useful conditioning and her 3lb claim is another bonus.
