Henderson confident Shishkin will stay as he targets Cheltenham Gold Cup glory
Winning the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup remains right at the top of Nicky Henderson’s priorities as he prepares to saddle Shishkin in the latest instalment of the Cheltenham Festival’s marquee event.
Henderson is no stranger to starring on the opening day of the Festival, winning day one’s feature Champion Hurdle a record nine times. But the Gold Cup has proved a tougher beast to tame for the Seven Barrows handler throughout his long and decorated career.
Nevertheless the Gold Cup has managed to find its way to Henderson’s Lambourn base twice in the race’s 100-year history, with the quest for a third success in the blue riband still paramount in his thoughts each passing season.
“As we’ve given up on the Grand National we may as well concentrate on the Gold Cup,” said Henderson.
“The Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup are the most important races as far as I’m concerned because it means you have the best horse and that’s what a race is about.”
Shishkin enhanced his Gold Cup claims firstly when unseating from a winning position in the King George VI Chase and then getting a confidence-boosting success under his belt in the Denman Chase.
Few would argue he would
be even shorter in the betting lists if not for unseating Nico de Boinville shortly after the second-last at Kempton and Henderson has full confidence he will last the distance in his toughest assignment to date.
“He’s come out of Newbury really really well,” added Henderson.
“I think we are confident he will stay. I think it’s an open Gold Cup and open enough to
be in it. He deserves to be in it. Hewouldhavebeenfirstorsecond in the King George and I honestly think he would have won and that was a hell of a performance for his first run of the year, even if he finished second that is one hell of a trial.”
Meanwhile, Isocrate can break his duck in the CRS Building Supplies "National Hunt" Maiden Hurdle at Exeter today.
The six-year-old has made steady progress for Jonjo O'neill and was only beaten a short head by Victoria Milano last time out at Sandown when hanging right on the run-in.
The soft ground will suit and the drop in the class will also be in his favour at the Devon track.
Hereturnedtotheracecourse following an extended 311-day absence at Chepstow in January and the two-and-a-halfmile distance looked too much for him as he did not stay and weakened having been prominentforthemajorityoftherace.
The drop back to two miles at Sandown was more to his liking and over the same distance he can get off the mark at the fourth time of asking under rules.