SHISHKIN PLANS ON HOLD DUE TO SCOPE RESULTS

TRAINER Nicky Henderson says plans are on hold for Shishkin after a bad scope yesterday confirmed his concerns that there was an issue with the horse. Last week the trainer pulled Shishkin out of this afternoon’s Tingle Creek Chase. Henderson said: ‘He has gone wrong, just on his trachea wash. We scoped him this morning and the figures were not good. ‘Thank goodness we have found this out. We were right.’ Henderson said he would ‘see how things progress’ before deciding if Shiskin can make his delayed seasonal comeback in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton on December 27.

DUAL Grand National hero Tiger Roll runs for the first time since April in the Grade Two Unibet Many Clouds Chase at Aintree today. A disagreement with the British handicapper prevented Gordon Elliott’s charge from trying for a third National victory in the spring, and is likely to prevent connections from doing so again this season. ‘It’ll be nice for him to run back at Aintree in front of a crowd and it’ll be even nicer if the English handicapper has a look at him,’ said Eddie O’Leary, racing manager to owners Gigginstown House Stud. ‘It’s proven an obstacle for the last couple of years, this guy clearly has a personal problem with the horse and, if so, he shouldn’t handicapping.’

THREE-TIME champion British Flat jockey Silvestre De Sousa will miss a chunk of the 2022 British Flat season after being awarded a contract to ride in Hong Kong. De Sousa will take up his new contract on February 1 and ride there until the end of the Hong Kong season on July 16.