Graham Motion saddled three winners, including a Stakes win, over the past two weeks, while Hewick, the 2022 Steeplechasing Eclipse Award winner, was a winner in one of England's most prestigious races.
Graham Motion Coady PhotographyTeam Valor International's Romagna Mia, trained by Motion, won the $150,000, 1 1/2 mile Via Borghese Stakes at Gulfstream Park by 7 lengths on Dec. 26.
"She came to us from Italy to run in the Beverly Stakes at Colonial Downs in August," said Motion. "She was third in that and then won the G3 Reed & Riddle Dowager Stakes at Keeneland, and then won at Gulfstream."
"They took that race off the grass and ran it on the all weather track," Motion said. "She'll run next in the G3 Le Prevoyante turf race at Gulfstream."
The 5-year-old Romagna Mia ran a number of times abroad, including a win in a Group 2 race in Rome.
Motion also saddled Amerman Racing's Trikari to win a $70,000, 1 1/16 mile Maiden Special Weight on the all weather track at Gulfstream by 1 1/4 lengths on Dec. 28 in her second ever start.
Cayton Park Stud's homebred Marksman Queen, trained by Motion, won a $71,000, 1 mile and 70 yards Allowance Optional Claiming race by a head at Gulfstream on Dec. 30.
Hewick won the 2022 Eclipse Award after winning the Grand National at Far Hills by 11 1/2 lengths in his only race in this country.
He was a long shot in the King George VI Chase, a prestigious G1 National Hunt steeplechase held annually at Kempton Park on Dec. 26 during the Christmas Festival.
That race challenges horses aged four or older over a demanding 3-mile course with eighteen tough fences.
Hewick, a horse bought for €850 at a Goresbridge auction, defied expectations.
TRAINED by ‘Shark’ Hanlon and ridden by Gavin Sheehan, Hewick surged from last place, where he had run most of the race, looking thoroughly beaten
Hewick faced seemingly insurmountable challenges throughout the race at Kempton. Initially overlooked in the competition, the horse struggled to keep pace with the front runners, notably Shishkin, who dictated a blistering speed that appeared beyond Hewick’s reach.
But when Shishkin stumbled over a late ence unseated jockey Nico de Boinville, that allowed Hewick to make a stunning surge forward to pass Allaho and Bravemansgame to win with a phenomenal leap over the last fence
“It’s unreal,"said Hanlon. "I said to Gavin ‘listen, he will stay all day’ but they went very hard and he just couldn’t lay up with them.”
Hanlon’ is considering such challenging races as the English National or even eyeing the prestigious Gold Cup at Cheltenham.
KERI BRION saddled two winners,one at Laurel and one at Gulfstream.
FJ Lyles Racing Stables' Despite Odds won a $27,240, 6 furlong Claiming race by a head at Laurel on Dec. 17, and Steinmetz Equine Holdings' High Stakes won a $22,000, 1 1/16 mile Maiden Claiming race by 4 lengths on the all weather at Gulfstream on Dec. 23.
BERNIE HOUGHTON had his own homebred Dakota Springs win a $27,100, 5 1/2 furlong Maiden Special Weight for 2-year-old fillies by a neck at Penn National on Dec.29.
In her first ever race, Dakota Springs went right to the lead and fended off a late running rival for the win.
MICHAEL MATZ saddled Runnymoore Racing's Amunet to win a $26,000, 1mile and 70 yards Claiming race for fillies and mares 3 and up by 1 1//2 lengths on te all weather track at Gulfstream on Dec.22.
LIZ MERRYMAN saddled HastingFarm'sIrish Coco to win a $66,250Maiden Special Weight forfilies and mares3 and up by 3/4 length at Parx on Dec. 20.
