Hewick and Gavin Sheehan won the King George last Christmas© Photo Healy Racing
Gavin Sheehan will be reunited with Hewick in Saturday’s Betfair Chase at Haydock.
Jordan Gainford has partnered Shark Hanlon’s charge in his last five starts but Sheehan will get the leg up on Merseyside, having steered the horse to King George VI Chase glory last year.
Hewick was caught close home by Envoi Allen having made most of the running in the Champion Chase at Down Royal earlier this month, with Hanlon suggesting a Kempton defence at Christmas could be on the cards.
The trainer’s impending suspension complicated matters though, and the plan is now to run at Haydock before heading straight to the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, when the trainer will be back on the roster.
However, with some forecasts suggesting over 20 millimetres of rain at Haydock, Hanlon will be keeping a close eye on the weather.
He said: “We’ve got Gavin and we’re hoping the rain stays away, but he’s going anyhow.
“He does go with cut in the ground, it’s just that the fences look big to him on soft ground.
“I was talking to the man on the track (clerk of the course Daniel Cooper) and he can see it being good on Saturday – if the rain stays away. I’m hoping the forecast is wrong.
“A small drop of rain would be lovely. At Limerick the other day, it looked soft but it wasn’t, they were just taking the top off it – under it, it is still hard, so I don’t think one day of rain will make it soft.
“He nearly won in France when it was very soft. He handles it, he’s just better on good ground.
“He didn’t deserve to lose at Down Royal, he put it all in. I think he’s actually better this year than he was last year.”
