'Shark' crosses Atlantic to chase American dream with Hewick

Heard the one about a shark crossing the Atlantic to follow a horse?

Carlow trainer John Joseph Hanlon ('Shark' to all and sundry) is in transit to New Jersey in hot pursuit of his equine sensation Hewick.

Bought for the bargain price of €800, Hewick became the "People's Champion" over a remarkable season of racing triumphs.

And now, he is chasing the American dream, currently in quarantine in the States ahead of a tilt at Saturday's US Grand National.

He left the yard in Fenniscourt last week, going west via the circuitous route of England and Belgium.

Now the bargain buy is chasing success in the $250,000 race at the Far Hills course in the affluent suburb of New Jersey.

"It’s a great story," says Hanlon of his horse that’s won €300,000 in prize money in the last few months.

"It’s something you dream but seldom do. We were in Goresbridge and this horse was there we saw him and liked him, then brought him home and from that day to this, everything has gone right.

"A lot of things can go wrong but everything with this horse went right, and we are really looking forward to America now," Hanlon adds.

Ahead of the big race at the weekend Hanlon has been busy, too, casting his eye over Hewick’s rivals.

"There’s one English horse in it and the rest are American horses. It’s two mile five furlongs, I’m just hoping it’s not too short for him - but he’s a fast horse.

"The jumps over there are different. In Ireland you have hurdles and fences, over there it’s neither a hurdle or a fence it’s in between.

"So we have been trying to get the horse to jump for the last week in between those fences but he has been learning quick - he’s a good learner."

The US Grand National will be the 101st edition of the famous race and Hanlon is confident of