BOOKIES have ‘raised the alarm' over the ‘staggering' support for a Grand National runner that has been backed in from 66-1 to 10-1.
BoyleSports report pint-sized hero Hewick – who does actually enjoy a drop of Guinness – will be a ‘nightmare result' for them in the £1million race.
The Grand National will be run at 4pm on Saturday but, ahead of Thursday's final declarations, it's anyone's guess who will go off favourite.
Coral report as many as six could while a number of bigger-priced runners have been slammed in, further compressing the market.
There's no doubt Hewick, who is trained by man mountain Shark Hanlon, is the people's horse though.
And with the surge of public support behind him, the former King George winner who's already won the American Grand National could be the one they all have to beat.
Grand National odds
Odds via BoyleSports
8-1 Iroko, Intense Raffles, Stumptown
9-1 I Am Maximus
10-1 Hewick
12-1 Vanillier, Perceval Legallois
16-1 Minella Cocooner
20-1 Kandoo Kid, Meetingofthewaters, Grangeclare West, Hyland
25-1 bar
Brian O’Keeffe, spokesperson for BoyleSports, said: “Bookies are sounding the ‘Shark Alarm' as support for Hewick continues to grow.
“The number of people backing him for the Grand National shows no signs of slowing down so Shark’s confidence is clearly being mirrored by punters.
“He’d be a nightmare result for the bookies, but they’re starting to come for the Willie Mullins team too and it’s impossible to tell who will go off favourite at this stage.”
Shark has teed up Gavin Sheehan for the big ride and he is confident his stable star, who cost just £850 but has won over £750,000, will head to Aintree in top form.
Also in his favour is the weather.
Aintree chiefs are watering the course to keep the current going description of good to soft.
And with the sun forecast to shine over the three-day Festival and ground all but certain to firm up, it also plays into Hewick's hooves.
Irish trainer Shark said: “Everything has been absolutely A1 with Hewick so far.
“We brought him down to the Curragh to jump the National fences and couldn’t have been happier with how it went.
“The weather forecast looks ideal, the better the ground the better we think he’ll run.
“He stays, he has class, he ticks all the boxes you need in a National horse and I can’t wait to see how it goes on Saturday.”
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