Fairytale hero Hewick rides off into the sunset

For much of his remarkable career, John ‘Shark’ Hanlon labelled Hewick as the ‘People’s Horse’. That's a lofty title in a region where Danoli remains the benchmark for any horse described as "the people's horse".

But anybody doubting the validity of it only had to be in Shark’s yard in Bagenalstown last Saturday morning. Hanlon hosts an annual open day when prospective owners and syndicate members can come in and have a look around but this year, it doubled as Hewick’s retirement party after he recently ran his last race in Cork.

Hewick’s story is well told by now. He’s the horse that was bought for €800 and went on to accumulate winnings of over €800,000.

He took his owner and trainer and their friends and family around the world. He won a Galway Plate and an American Grand National and perhaps most famously of all, a King George at Kempton. As well as the wins, he came second in a French Hurdle and ran in both the Aintree Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Simply put, he was the horse of a lifetime and, for many racing fans, the closest thing this generation has had to a people's horse.

Small in stature but full of fight, he won the hearts of racing fans, as was proven again by the crowd that turned out to say farewell before he headed out to pasture.

“It’s unreal,” said Hanlon as he looked at the crowd around him. 

“The crowd today is like if Kilkenny won an All-Ireland Final or if Carlow won the Joe McDonagh Cup.

“The people love Hewick, they always loved Hewick and why would we let it pass without giving him a proper sendoff?

“People have been here all morning, they're still taking photos inside there. I can't believe the turnout,” said Hanlon.

The trainer himself is a big part of the reason why the horse has proved so popular with fans.

“I think the fact that he cost just 800 quid, and I’m just a small trainer. We’re here this morning and there’s lots of interest for people to become owners with us. Rachel is there with a book and there must be 60 names in it. We have the horses for small money for the people, and they love it. They love going for a days racing, for maybe €50 or €60 a month. The free leases on the horses there, they don’t have to buy the horse, if they want to get out in six months, they can,” said Hanlon.

One thing that Hanlon can’t guarantee is that anybody getting involved will get a horse like Hewick. He leaves behind incredible memories but the one that stands out for Hanlon is the Galway Plate when the big charismatic trainer was surrounded by his family.

“ My father was there beside me and it was special. It was very, very special. To have your father there, I know he wasn't in America, or he wasn't in England but he was there that day, and he died very shortly after. There were tears in both of our eyes that day,” said Hanlon.

Hewick will now enjoy his retirement with owner TJ McDonald in Naas, Co Kildare. Like Hanlon, McDonald can barely believe how well things worked out with Hewick.

“I must be one of the luckiest owners in horse racing to have a horse like this, to bring me all around the world, the big famous wins that he had, to be such a popular horse with everybody in the country. He has people in England and even America following him, there's something about him that people like so much,” said McDonald.

The owner spent most of Saturday morning in the stable by Hewick’s side as fans queued around the yard as they waited to have their picture taken with him. McDonald feels that it is the underdog story that so attracts people to him.

“It's very special. I think it's the underdog story maybe and the fact that maybe he's a little bit smaller than the rest of the big guns. He comes out of maybe not the biggest yard and I'm definitely not the biggest owner. Going up against the big guns and stuff like that, that’s a bit of the underdog story I think. I don't really know but there's a huge love for him anyway, that's for sure.

“He has the temperament. He’s here taking photos all morning. I just pulled him out of the field this morning at 9am and loaded him up. Usually you wouldn't be able to stand in the box with some of them but he just knows what he's doing. He's just a dude,” said McDonald.

Beside his stable in Carlow, a video played some of his best moments, memories that still make the hair on the back of McDonald’s neck stand up.

“I'm listening to the commentary from the King George here beside me, it still gives me the shivers. It took me about three months to actually sit down and watch it. Galway was special, Sandown was brilliant as well, but I think in Sandown we kind of knew that he was super special because I'd say it was one of his best runs he ever had, he was quick going past the line. He jumped like a buck all the way around and we were thinking then, ‘this lad is serious stuff’. But if I could pick one, it'd have to be the King George, even listening to the commentary there, it gives you the shiver,” he said.

Hewick will enjoy his retirement back in Naas alongside another of McDonald's bargain Grade 1 winners, Skyace.

“He'll be out in the field with Skyace, who is actually in foal at the minute. They know each other well from being here with Shark and being on breaks and stuff like that. He’s just there, loving life and out on the grass.” There may be another Hewick coming along behind as he has a four-year-old brother getting ready to start his career.

“He’s actually for sale but if we can’t sell him, we’ll race him,” said McDonald.

“Raring is Tearing is his name, it comes from the Killeagh song. He's a four-year-old, still a big baby, so we'll find out what's under the tank but if he’s half as good as this lad (Hewick) I'd be happy.”

Away from the track, Hewick's most famous moment may well have come when he strolled into The Pint Depot in Bagenalstown for a pint of Guinness, a clip that was viewed and shared around the world. Before heading up the road to his forever home in Naas, he stopped off there one final time for a small thirst-quencher. It was a fitting farewell for a horse who took ordinary people on an extraordinary journey and leaves behind a lifetime of memories.