Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PLAIN SAILING FOR SHISHKIN
SHISHKIN sailed through “a no-win situation” at Doncaster to stay unbeaten over fences – and is now a best-priced 4-5 favourite for Cheltenham’s Arkle Trophy.
Nicky Henderson admitted to pre-race nerves as last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle victor sought to add to two scores over Kempton Park’s larger obstacles in yesterday’s Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Lightning Novices’ Chase.
But the seven-year-old spared his trainer – and those who backed him at 1-7 – an anxious moment, passing Eldorado Allen at the fourth fence from home to win by eight-anda-half lengths under Nico De Boinville.
“It was a no-win situation,” said Henderson.
“He had to do what he did – otherwise, everyone is disappointed.
“He was good as, and as far as I’m concerned, it was what we wanted.”
Two-mile superstars Sprinter Sacre (2012) and Altior (2017) are among the masters of Seven Barrows’ six Arkle winners, and Henderson added: “He’s different to the other two in a lot of ways, as he doesn’t tank through races.
“The other two were bruisers – they wanted every canter to be a gallop. He’s very amenable.”
De Boinville declared himself “over the moon” with the performance - in his view Shishkin is best as a novice chaser.
“I thought his jumping was the best it has been so far,” said the successful jockey. “He strode away all the way to the line and put real distance between him and the second horse.”
Henderson revealed his Champion Hurdler Epatante has been treated for a back problem in the wake of her shock defeat in Kempton’s Christmas Hurdle on Boxing Day.
It was thought the JP McManus-owned mare was in season before her defeat, at odds of 1-5, at the hands of Evan Williams’ Silver Streak.
The stable’s 2020 Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Santini will warm up for the National Hunt Festival if the Cotswold Chase – lost when Saturday’s Cheltenham card fell to waterlogging on Friday – is staged at Sandown Park next Saturday.
“We’ll see what the weather does over the weekend before publishing final plans,” a British Horseracing Authority spokesperson said yesterday.