It was October 2017 that the Shark Hanlon travelled five minutes up the road to Goresbridge to buy a horse. When he got there, the horse he wanted wasn’t there.

He scratched his head and walked back towards the car. When he was walking out he saw a different horse coming towards him.

He was a light horse he thought, but he was a nice size and had a lovely walk. He had a quick scan of him, a look on either side and then went away about his business.

But when he was sat back home drinking a cup of tea, he couldn’t stop thinking about this horse. He didn’t know what sire he was by, who was selling, even what number he was in the catalogue.

He hadn’t his tea finished when he had decided to get back in the car and see if this horse could be bought for the money he’d give. He came back that evening with the horse and only €850 lighter.

The horse was Hewick. Five years later, he’s a superstar. Having picked up winners’ cheques for £90,000 in the bet365 Gold Cup and €160,000 in the Galway Plate, he continued a simply sensational summer/autumn with a bolt-away win under regular pilot Jordan Gainford in the American Grand National at Far Hills, New Jersey on Saturday.

Unique success

That unique success came to be worth another €128,000 but the memories are likely more valuable, with the Shark unlikely to have faded the celebrations to any degree.

However in his post-race interview, Hanlon first and foremost dedicated the win to Jack de Bromhead.

Speaking to an American television presenter, the Kilkenny trainer said: “I just have to say, there was an accident recently in Ireland involving Jack de Bromhead, we’re all thinking of him.

"My young lad (Paddy), who led up the horse there was his best friend and he cried there. This is for Jack.”

The Hewick story doesn’t stop here, with Hanlon now harbouring ambitions of running the seven-year-old in the Gold Cup, which could indeed be his next race, with a long break planned in between.