Colossal Grand National gamble on ‘horse who stunned the world’ keeps building as bookies run for cover
A COLOSSAL Grand National gamble on a horse ‘who stunned the world’ is showing no signs of slowing down.
Worried bookies are running for cover after bargain £800 buy Hewick plummeted to as short as 10-1 having been backed in from 50s.
The former King George hero looks sure to get his preferred good ground at Aintree and his trainer Shark Hanlon reckons he could easily go off favourite for the £1million race.
A Grade 1 winner with bags of stamina, ten-year-old Hewick – who also likes a pint of Guinness – is unexposed over the 4m2f trip.
But everything about him suggests he’ll relish the flat Aintree track.
And bookies are certain the money will continue to flow for one of the most popular horses around having already been walloped ante-post.
Ladbrokes are one of the bookies offering a bottom price of 10s and the firm’s Cal Gildart said: “The £800 horse who stunned the racing world with his run from last to first at the 2023 King George is making a similar move in the betting market for this year’s Grand National.
“With so much backing, you wouldn’t put it past Hewick to go off as the favourite.”
Shark has already confirmed jockey Gavin Sheehan, who steered Hewick to that incredible King George success, is back in the saddle.
The pair came from the clouds to win a pulsating Kempton Christmas cracker in 2023 after the late, great Shishkin went down at the second-last with the race seemingly at his mercy.
Coral’s David Stevens said their traders had also cut Hewick to 10s.
He added: “With only four horses ahead of Hewick in the National betting now, Shark Hanlon’s prediction that his charge would start favourite for the famous contest is looking less and less outrageous.
“Indeed at the current rate he will be single figure odds soon enough.”
Irish trainer Tom Gibney’s former Irish Grand National winner Intense Raffles heads the market at 7-1.
The grey has run over fences just once this season and is yet to actually tackle a National-style fence, which is made from spruce brought down from the Lake District.
But Gibney is confident he has what it takes to perform on the biggest stage.
He said: “I’d prefer to have the favourite rather than a 50-1 shot all day long.
“He doesn’t know he’s favourite and we just do the same thing – and if it works great, and if it doesn’t, what about it.”
British-trained runner Iroko is the best home hope for success, while recent Cheltenham Festival winner Stumptown is 8-1.
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