A GOOD cow would cost as much, a delighted Shark Hanlon told reporters after Hewick won last weekend’s Grade 3 bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown. This was a sixth career win for the seven-year-old son of Virtual (Pivotal), and the gelding cost Rachel O’Neill, Hanlon’s partner, a mere €850 at Goresbridge.

Not only that, but Hewick is out of the unraced Ballyburn Rose, a daughter of Oscar (Sadler’s Wells) who sold twice at Goresbridge, for €300 as a foal and €1,400 four years ago. Hewick was bred by William Quinn, owner of Ballyburn Stud in Castledermot, Co Kildare.

The Group 1 Lockinge Stakes winner Virtual stood his first few seasons at Cheveley Park Stud before moving to Woodlands Stud in Galway. Hewick is his best runner under both rules. On the dam side of the family, Hewick comes from a female line that has been especially good to Jim Mernagh over many years.

Hewick’s fourth dam Bardicate (Bargello) was a twin and did not race. She produced a dozen foals at stud, all but one of which raced. Nine of these won on the racecourse and were headed by Deep Bramble (Deep Run) and Polyfemus (Pollerton). The former was a Grade 1 winner of the Ericsson Chase and his other big race successes included the Kerry National at Listowel and a pair of top chases at Sandown.

Polyfemus gained the biggest of his four wins in the Listed Mandarin Chase at Newbury. Two daughters of Bardicate bred blacktype winners over jumps, Ramble Bramble (Random Shot) deserving special mention. She is dam of the Grade 3 Midlands Grand National winner Seven Towers (Roselier), and grandam of Grade 3 chase winner Teeming Rain (Supreme Leader).

Finally, the only offspring of Bardicate not to race was Gold Label (Deep Run). She bred a couple of winners and is third dam of Martello Tower (Milan). He won the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham and was bred by Martin Cullinane at his Mount Brown Farm in Galway.