Shishkin marches on with exemplary display
SHISHKIN was the weekend star as he continued his relentless march towards a second Cheltenham Festival success with another dominant display at Doncaster.
Last season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle has made a near seamless transition to the chasing game this season, with trainer Nicky Henderson hailing his fencing debut at Kempton in November as “10 out of 10”.
There was just a flicker of concern during his subsequent triumph in the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase at the same venue, before he ultimately left his rivals trailing in his wake – and it was a similar story in Saturday’s Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Lightning Novices’ Chase.
There is definitely more Altior than Sprinter Sacre about Shishkin. Much like the former, the seven-year-old can race behind the bridle for fleeting moments, before finding a gear very few horses possess.
He showed a tendency to hang a little left on Town Moor, but his jumping was perfectly sound and he could do no more than put a fair operator in Eldorado Allen in his place with the minimum of fuss.
Shishkin’s already cramped odds for the Arkle at Cheltenham contracted further off the back of this victory, and many will justifiably have him down as one of the bankers of the meeting.
Punters will have done well to find the winners of two of the three other feature events on the card.
Aye Right and well-backed favourite Cap Du Nord were battling for the lead during the latter stages of the Sky Bet Chase, but both were unable to resist the late challenge of 40-1 shot Takingrisks.
The Nicky Richards-trained 12-year-old was bagging his third major prize, having previously won the Scottish Grand National at Ayr and the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle.
Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden combined to win the other Grade
Two – the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Yorkshire Rose Mares’ Hurdle – with 3-1 shot Miranda.
Henry de Bromhead’s Eklat De Rire looks bound for a clash with Monkfish in the Festival Novices’ Chase, after landing the Grade Three Naas Racecourse Business Club Novice Chase under Rachael Blackmore.
The Willie Mullins-trained Billaway is favourite for the St James’s Place Hunters’ Chase at the Festival – a race he finished second in last season – after winning at Naas for the second year in succession.
Mullins also landed the Grade Three Limestone Lad Hurdle with the admirable Bachasson.