In-form Gavin Sheehan picks up King George VI Chase ride on Shark Hanlon's Irish raider Hewick
Everything Gavin Sheehan touches turns to gold at the moment and the jockey is growing in confidence before the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase (2.30 Kempton) after picking up the chance ride aboard the popular Hewick.
Sheehan has already snared two of jump racing's fiercest pre-Christmas handicaps, the Coral Gold Cup and December Gold Cup, and was announced as Hewick's partner on Thursday.
Regular jockey Jordan Gainford is on the sidelines after fracturing his T5 and T6 vertebrae at Naas last week, while Rachael Blackmore, who deputised when Hewick won the Grade 2 Oaksey Chase in April, is likely to be riding at Leopardstown.
"My agent just rang me and said he'd spoken to Shark [Hanlon]," Sheehan said. "He's a high-profile horse to be getting a spare ride on. I suppose the recent form I've had encouraged them to use me. I've been delighted with how things are going."
Sheehan has a strong book of rides during the Christmas period and is hopeful Hewick, who is as big as 20-1 for the Boxing Day showpiece with bet365, can outrun his odds at a track that will suit his running style.
He was last seen finishing 14th in the Galway Plate in August but was still in contention when falling two fences from home in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March and ran a bold race to be fourth in the French Champion Hurdle, the Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil, in May.
"The more I look at the race, the more I think I've got a chance and that's not just because I'm riding him now," said Sheehan. "He's got a little bit of speed and he stays. He was running a big race in the Gold Cup and if it stays dry that will definitely give him a better chance.
"I can't see why Kempton won't suit him. The betting suggests he's one of the outsiders but Bravemansgame's been beaten the last twice and Allaho won't want the ground on the better side, so the race has an open feel to it.
"I've finished third and fourth in the King George and it's a tough race as they go off quick and it seems like a relentless gallop, which will suit Hewick. It's all about jumping as the fences come up fast."
Sheehan will be hoping for a timely boost at Ascot on Saturday, when he will partner another spare, the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Gowel Road in the Howden Long Walk Hurdle, and Git Maker for Jamie Snowden in the Howden Silver Cup Handicap Chase.
Gowel Road: only two and a half lengths behind Long Walk Hurdle fancy Crambo at Haydock last time
"Gowel Road is a very nice horse and it's also an open race," he said. "He's a big enough price and I think he's very straightforward and uncomplicated. I'll have to go back and look at his races and see how I can get the best out of him. On his day he's not without a chance.
"If I can get Git Maker into a good jumping rhythm and they go a decent gallop, everything will suit him. It will demand more and he needs to step up, but he can do it. He's been placed well to win at smaller tracks."
Another of Sheehan's festive crackers is Super Survivor, who has been promoted to favouritism for Wednesday's Coral Welsh Grand National with Monbeg Genius out of the race. Also trained by Snowden, the lightly raced seven-year-old was runner-up when Git Maker won for Sheehan at Lingfield last month.
Super Survivor won by five lengths at Chepstow last December and has struck up a good relationship with Sheehan, who boasts a record of three wins, two seconds and a third from six rides on him.
Gavin Sheehan rates Super Survivor among his best Christmas chances
"He's quite cool, I like him," he said. "He ran a lovely race at Lingfield behind Git Maker and I think going up a mile in trip will help our chances because he doesn't really take you forward in a race, which is what you need in a race like the Welsh National to conserve energy.
"He's won around the track before and I'm very much looking forward to him."
On his magnificent book of rides, he added: "I try not to think about these things too much but when you say it out loud you realise how good it sounds!"
Ladbrokes: 6-4 Allaho, 2 Bravemansgame, 11-2 Shishkin, 9 The Real Whacker, 10 Royale Pagaille, 14 Hewick, 33 Frodon
Coral: 9-2 Super Survivor, 7 Complete Unknown, Iwilldoit, Nassalam, 8 Autonomous Cloud, 10 Iron Bridge, The Big Breakaway, Truckers Lodge, 11 The Galloping Bear, 12 Chambard, 18 Fontaine Collonges, 25 Only The Bold, Wayfinder, 28 Ashtown Lad, 33 bar
Read these next:
Do you want £400+ of free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets
