Nicky Henderson will make alternative plans for Constitution Hill and Shishkin following the abandonment of Saturday’s high-profile fixture at Newcastle.
Constitution Hill was due to bid for back-to-back victories in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Gosforth Park, with Shishkin set to join his esteemed stablemate on the trip to the north east for a redemption mission in the Rehearsal Chase, having refused to start in last weekend’s 1965 Chase at Ascot.
But with course officials calling off the meeting on Friday after significant snow fell on the covered track, Henderson is now contemplating his next move.
Nicky Henderson at Newbury on Friday (David Davies/PA)
While raising the possibility of the Fighting Fifth being rescheduled, the Seven Barrows handler would be happy to head straight to the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day with Constitution Hill.
What is causing him a bigger headache is how best to prepare Shishkin for an intended tilt at the King George VI Chase on the same Kempton card.
“The one I’m more concerned about is Shishkin,” Henderson told Racing TV at Newbury on Friday. “From Constitution Hill’s point of view, if he had to go to Kempton without a run, that would not worry me at all, whereas Shishkin going to the King George without a run does not sit comfortably.
Shishkin in action at Aintree (David Davies/The Jockey Club)
“We have no option with Shishkin, there might be an option with Constitution Hill, as I know the powers that be are working like beavers to try and reconstruct a Fighting Fifth.
“But on the other hand, we wouldn’t want to go too far away from today, because you’re getting terribly close to Christmas itself and 16 or 17 days (between runs) doesn’t appeal to me enormously.
“I don’t think Shishkin is necessarily a doubt (for the King George), but he needs to go and have a good gallop somewhere. He’ll have to do some work in the meantime.”
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Nicky Henderson has confirmed Shishkin will join esteemed stablemate Constitution Hill on the trip to Newcastle to contest Saturday’s BetMGM Rehearsal Chase.
With the multiple Grade One winner having refused to start in last weekend’s 1965 Chase at Ascot, the Seven Barrows handler admitted to being in a quandary as to what to do with his star chaser as he looks to get his season back on track ahead of a planned tilt at the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day.
With alternative options limited, Henderson revealed on Sunday that Shishkin could make a swift reappearance in the north east, with Constitution Hill already making the long journey from Lambourn to Gosforth Park as he looks to secure back-to-back victories in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle.
Just to keep everybody informed, Shishkin will run in the Rehearsal Chase on Saturday. Everything is fine with him, and he’ll travel up to Newcastle on Friday with Constitution Hill.
And while a lofty rating of 173 means Shishkin will have to carry 12 stone and concede upwards of 21lb to each of his rivals in Saturday’s finale, he has been given the go ahead to take his chance.
In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, Henderson said: “Just to keep everybody informed, Shishkin will run in the Rehearsal Chase on Saturday.
“Everything is fine with him, and he’ll travel up to Newcastle on Friday with Constitution Hill.”
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It could be a big day for Nicky Henderson at Newcastle on Saturday, with his two most high-profile horses, Constitution Hill and Shishkin, entered on the card.
Constitution Hill is one of six left in the BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle while Shishkin, who blotted his copybook by refusing to race at Ascot on Saturday, has been given an entry in the BetMGM Rehearsal Chase.
Not surprisingly, there are not many connections with a smart two-mile hurdler on their hands keen to take on Constitution Hill.
Since his racecourse debut in December 2021, the closest any horse has managed to get to Constitution Hill is three lengths, on his most recent outing at Aintree, where he beat multiple Grade One winner Sharjah.
That followed a nine-lengths stroll in the Champion Hurdle over State Man, another Willie Mullins inmate with a list of successes at the highest level to his name.
There had earlier been wide-margin wins over his stablemate Epatante in both the Christmas Hurdle and this corresponding race last year – and she herself was a previous winner of the Champion Hurdle.
So far, he has not looked like being beaten and he will be a very short price at the weekend to maintain his unblemished record.
There is a previous winner of the Fighting Fifth among his likely opponents in the shape of Hughie Morrison’s veteran Not So Sleepy.
He dead-heated with Epatante in 2021 and was last seen running a good race to be seventh in the Cesarewitch.
Love Envoi may make her reappearance at Newcastle (Steven Paston/PA)
There are two classy mares among his potential opponents, both having won the Dawn Run Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
Harry Fry’s Love Envoi took the spoils in 2022 and was narrowly beaten by Honeysuckle back at Cheltenham in March, while Jamie Snowden’s You Wear It Well followed in her hoofprints last season.
You Wear It Well reappeared with a good win at Wetherby and is clearly on the up.
Snowden told Sky Sports Racing: “If you’re not in, you can’t run. Constitution Hill has obviously put a few people off.
“We’ve confirmed this morning, we’ll see what the weather does and see whether we take our chance.
“She obviously handles very soft ground at the minimum trip, so she will appreciate every bit of rain that falls.
“She should still be improving, she’s done very little wrong in her career. She’s only ever lost on her racecourse debut and in a couple of Grade Ones.
“Constitution Hill looks an absolute superstar, State Man couldn’t live with him and he’s a multiple Grade One winner, a superstar in his own right. It doesn’t look like he can be beaten but it’s the age-old thing, never be afraid of one horse.
“We’re living the dream at the moment and we’ll see how the week pans out and cross each bridge as it comes.”
Sandy Thomson’s Benson and Iain Jardine’s Voix Du Reve are the only other possibles, although the latter fails to meet the minimum requirement of a rating of 130 needed to run in a Grade One.
Shishkin is one of 17 entries in the Rehearsal Chase over almost three miles, a contest won 12 months ago by Venetia Williams’ L’Homme Presse.
When asked on Sunday if the race was an option for Shishkin, Henderson replied: “That is under consideration, as you can imagine. We’re going there anyway (with Constitution Hill).”
The trainer deems the Peterborough Chase on December 10 too close to his King George target on Boxing Day.
Shishkin is rated 173 so would be giving lumps of weight away to his rivals should he run, with the next highest rated being Snowden’s Datsalrightgino on 148, while that trainer has also entered Ga Law.
“It would certainly help if Shishkin runs, as it would keep the weight down for the others,” said Snowden.
“They are both in the Coral Gold Cup as well. That was actually the plan but I thought I’d see what was in the Rehearsal and it could work to our advantage at the end of the day.”
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Next week’s Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle could come under consideration for Shishkin after Nicky Henderson’s star chaser refused to start at Ascot on Saturday.
Having rounded off a rollercoaster season with a first victory over an extended three miles at Aintree in the spring, the nine-year-old was odds-on to make a successful reappearance in the Grade Two 1965 Chase in Berkshire, which was due to be his prep run for the King George at Kempton on Boxing Day.
However, it became clear not long after he arrived at the start that Shishkin was not too keen to jump off with the other runners and when the tape went up, he turned his head and planted himself in the hands of Nico de Boinville.
Henderson reported his charge to be none the worse on Sunday morning, but is now in a quandary as to what to do next.
“He’s fine, he’s actually been out for a little day out and a hack canter this morning,” said the Seven Barrows handler.
“We’ve got to think what we’re going to do, I haven’t got that far yet.
“There’s very little he can do, to be honest with you. I don’t know, perhaps they’ll start the King George in starting stalls!”
Nicky Henderson and Shishkin (David Davies/PA)
Shishkin was wearing cheek pieces for the first time in public on Saturday and while Henderson is loathe to blame the headgear for his antics, they may be dispensed with on his next start.
He added: “I don’t think they made any difference, to be honest with you. I’m not saying they’ll stay on, because it’s probably sensible to do something.
“I don’t think they had anything to do with it, as he’s had them on at home and Nico has schooled him in them and he was great.
“I’m inclined to take them off, just to do something different, but they were nothing to do with it.
“I just think it was mainly because of where the start was at Ascot, and therefore, unsurprisingly, the King George start is a very bad one, too.”
The next conditions race open to Shishkin is the Grade Two Peterborough Chase, but Henderson feels the December 10 showpiece is “too close” to Kempton, while the two-and-a-half-mile distance at Huntingdon is considered “almost certainly too short round there”.
And with the brilliant Constitution Hill being readied to travel from Lambourn to Newcastle to make his comeback in Saturday’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle, Henderson admits the thought of putting Shishkin in the horsebox alongside him has crossed his mind.
When asked whether the Rehearsal Chase could be an option, the trainer said: “That is under consideration, as you can imagine. We’re going there anyway.
“We’ll just have to see, we’re not thinking about it at the moment. We’ve just got to face the issue and see, as there’s no point going up there (Newcastle) if he’s going to repeat it.”
The Venetia Williams-trained L’Homme Presse carried 12 stone to victory in last year’s Rehearsal Chase before unseating at the final fence in the King George.
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Shishkin stunned onlookers at Ascot when refusing to start in the Nirvana Spa 1965 Chase, which went the way of Pic Paul Nicholls’ D’Orhy.
Nicky Henderson’s top-class chaser was returning to action in the Grade Two contest, which only attracted four runners.
Nico de Boinville was partnering the gelding, who was the short-priced favourite, but at the tapes he did not budge and the race went ahead without him.
In Shishkin’s shock absence, the Paul Nicholls-trained Pic D’Orhy and Minella Drama shared the lead in the early stages as Straw Fan Jack followed, with the latter becoming the danger when Minella Drama faded.
Pic D’Orhy and Straw Fan Jack briefly locked horns, but Harry Coben’s mount pulled away when asked for a 16-length success at 5-2.
“What can I say?” said a dejected Henderson, who will now desperately search for an opportunity before the King George at Kempton Park on Boxing Day.
“At the moment I can’t think of all of the programme and the pity is there is a three-mile hurdle at Newbury on Friday and I would run him that, but it closed this morning. Did I know this would happen?
“I don’t know why he did that today, it’s one of those starts where you are going away from home (stables) and the odd horse will do it. My biggest concern would be the King George start would be exactly the same. How could I guarantee he wouldn’t do the same thing again? But I can guarantee if I took him down to the two-mile start here he would fly up. He would be in the lead.
“The alternatives, I will have to look, and if there is an open handicap I wouldn’t mind running him, but as you know the programme doesn’t allow these horses to run very often. If only it closed tomorrow Newbury would be brilliant.
“I don’t know where we can go and I have to find where there is an open handicap. I know there are no conditions races left and the Peterborough is too close (to the King George). I don’t know what to do.
“He jumps off every day, every day, every day. He’s a quirky character at times, but he will always jump off. He will never turn his head, never. He was in a mood today and he wasn’t for moving. He would still be there now.
“I can’t read his head and I don’t have the whole programme book in my head, but I can tell you there are no conditions races left.
“My biggest concern though is, if this was ever to be repeated, then Kempton isn’t the place to try it. That’s my biggest worry. I could say sorry he doesn’t need a prep, he will go have a racecourse gallop and he will be ready for Kempton, but that start at Kempton does worry me.”
Pic D’Orhy takes advantage of the non-start of Shishkin to lift the Ascot 1965 Chase. A double on the day for Harry Cobden and Paul Nicholls pic.twitter.com/9j4q4Nwo90
It was very much contrasting emotions for Cobden, although he felt the winner was not at his best.
“Me and Theo (Gillard, Minella Drama) saw him (Shishkin) plant at the start and the one thing you don’t want to do is stop when you are on a planter, so me and Theo were not going to make it easy for Nico,” said Cobden
“When you are riding in a £70,000 race you don’t want the favourite to jump off do you. It’s unfortunate for them because it would have made it a horse race if he had jumped up, but from my perspective I was happy to jump off without him.
“I was happy our horse got the job done today, but I don’t think he was anywhere near his best and he’s been a lot better than this in the past. But he’s got the job done.
“I thought he would canter round and beat the other two on the bridle and not have a race. I was happy to get past Theo but when you have Straw Fan Jack alongside you, I would say there is a problem you know. I looked across and I wouldn’t say he was going better than me, but he was there.
“There’s loads of improvement in him.”
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Shishkin sets out on what Nicky Henderson hopes will be a fruitful staying campaign when he lines up for the Nirvana Spa 1965 Chase at Ascot.
So brilliant at his best over two miles, the decision was taken to go over further immediately after he finished third in last year’s Tingle Creek at Sandown – his first start since being pulled up in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham that March, after which he was subsequently found to be suffering from a rare bone condition.
He looked magnificent in beating Pic D’Orhy in the Ascot Chase in February and did little wrong when second to Envoi Allen in the Ryanair Chase, before taking the plunge over three miles and a furlong at the Grand National meeting, staying on strongly to account for Ahoy Senor.
🟨⬛ Shishkin soars home to win the Alder Hey Aintree Bowl Chase
Henderson has his sights on the King George at Christmas, but first Shishkin must pass this two-mile-five-furlong reappearance test, where he again meets the Paul Nicholls-trained Pic D’Orhy.
“He’s in very good form. Nico (de Boinville) is happy with him, the timing is right and he’s done everything right,” said the master of Seven Barrows, who also had the option of going for the Betfair Chase with the nine-year-old.
“Pic D’Orhy is coming to Ascot and we will take on Bravemansgame later (in the King George).
“He showed us at Aintree he’s a stayer, it took him a long time to pick up Ahoy Senor. You can’t win a King George with a doubtful stayer, but he’s proved he does (stay).”
Pic D’Orhy winning at Aintree in April (Tim Goode/PA)
Although second best to Shishkin over course and distance earlier in the year, Pic D’Orhy would end his campaign with a decisive victory in the Melling Chase at Aintree and has Ditcheat stable jockey Harry Cobden on board for his return to action.
“I’ve always believed in this horse, who never stopped improving last season and looks fantastic,” Nicholls told Betfair.
“This Grade Two race has been his target from the moment he came back from holiday early in July.
“He is fit to run for his life, his work with Bravemansgame on Thursday was eyecatching and drying ground at Ascot is a big plus for him.
“We don’t think he was at his best when he was beaten by Shishkin at Ascot in February, as he’d had a few races before that, and things could well be different this time.”
Minella Drama and Brian Hughes in action at the Grand National meeting (Mike Egerton/PA)
Donald McCain’s Minella Drama was a bronze medallist behind Pic D’Orhy in the spring and also performed well on Merseyside on his seasonal bow when second in the Old Roan Chase.
Brian Hughes rides and said in his blog for Novibet.ie: “With Shishkin to beat, it’s not going to be easy for Minella Drama, but we are the only horse in the field with a run under our belt.
“He ran well on his return at Aintree and I think going right-handed at Ascot will suit. Strictly on ratings, we look fairly matched with Pic D’Orhy, but Shishkin is in the race, and he is a fair horse. I was hoping he’d be going to Haydock!
“We’re fit and I’d love to think we could beat him, but he’s some horse. I think we’ll give him a good race, though. We’re hoping he likes Ascot and can then pitch up there again in the Ascot Chase in February.”
The field of four is rounded off by Straw Fan Jack, who was set some lofty targets at the business end of last season and continues to have his sights aimed high by trainer Sheila Lewis.
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Shishkin is “almost certain” to line up in Ascot’s 1965 Chase on Saturday in preference to the Grade One Betfair Chase at Haydock.
Nicky Henderson raised the possibility of Shishkin heading to Merseyside earlier in the autumn for a mouthwatering clash with last year’s winner Protektorat and the King George hero of last season, Bravemansgame.
Henderson had considered the Betfair Chase as a suitable stepping-stone towards the King George at Kempton over Christmas, but the prospect of testing ground has prompted a change of heart.
Trainer Nicky Henderson and Shishkin (David Davies/PA)
“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to work out that two-miles-five around Ascot is going to suit him better than three miles in the soft at Haydock,” said the Seven Barrows handler.
“The ground at Ascot will be preferable and he’s almost certain to go there. He’s won a two-mile-five race there and we know he likes it (the track).”
Now a nine-year-old, Shishkin won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Arkle over two miles at successive Cheltenham Festivals.
However, he was pulled up in the Champion Chase of 2022 and after being beaten into third behind Edwardstone in last season’s Tingle Creek, Henderson stepped his charge up in trip.
The move proved successful, with a 16-length win in the Ascot Chase in February over Pic D’Orhy, who he will meet again on Saturday, preceding a running-on second to Envoi Allen in the Ryanair Chase.
He then tackled three miles for the first time at Aintree, when he reeled in Ahoy Senor after the last fence to lift the Bowl, and Henderson hopes to see him return to the longer distance on Boxing Day.
He added: “This is a prep race for the King George and we want to win it.
“He didn’t travel as well as he might in his races last season and I think we might put some cheek pieces on him. We’ve schooled him in them and they help keep his mind on it.”
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Nicky Henderson has identified the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase as the primary objective for Shishkin, with the Betfair Chase at Haydock a potential port of call en-route to Kempton.
The former star two miler successfully stepped up to an extended three miles in the Aintree Bowl in the spring and looks set to be campaigned over staying trips this season.
Following a pleasing racecourse gallop at Windsor last week, Henderson feels the nine-year-old is right where he wants him ahead of a potential comeback at Haydock on November 25.
“The whole objective for Shishkin is one day after Christmas and that is the King George,” said the Seven Barrows handler.
“After that race, we will decide where we go from there. He has had a racecourse gallop and the plan is to go to the Betfair Chase first, then onto the King George. He was super in the racecourse gallop and I was thrilled with him. Nico (de Boinville) rode him and he was great.
“He is most definitely a stayer. We started last season at two miles, then we went up to two miles five furlongs at Ascot and he looked good.
“You would have to say we were a little bit disappointed at Cheltenham in the Ryanair Chase, but then we upped him to three miles one furlong at Aintree and that was a good, solid, staying jumping performance.
“His win at Aintree showed that he stays three miles, but now we have got to confirm that. The ground at Haydock does frighten you a little bit, but we have got to go there, as he is not entered in the Charlie Hall and you have either that or the Betfair Chase before the King George.”
Shishkin is one of 15 possible contenders for the Betfair Chase, with last year’s winner Protektorat and the 2021 victor and former Gold Cup hero A Plus Tard also in the mix.
Bravemansgame, Gerri Colombe and L’Homme Presse are other notable names among the hopefuls for the Merseyside feature.
A Plus Tard aside, all of the above are also on a list of 19 initial entries for the King George, along with the likes of Allaho, last season’s Gold Cup winner Galopin Des Champs and The Real Whacker.
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Jonbon and Shishkin were part of a small team of Nicky Henderson horses who took part in a gallop at Windsor on Tuesday, as both work towards targets next month.
Jonbon is being primed for a comeback in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham’s Paddy Power meeting on November 19, while Shishkin has the Betfair Chase at Haydock on November 25 in his sights.
Luccia, Chantry House, Dusart and a new French recruit called Excello were the others galloping at the Thameside track, which Henderson cannot wait to see back in action during the winter from 2024 onwards.
“It was a very good morning. The ground was beautiful. I actually had a walk around with them changing it, I know it’s not until next winter, but it’s going to be really good, I think it will be fantastic,” said Henderson.
Shishkin won at Aintree in April (David Davies/PA)
“It was interesting because they raced on the Flat there yesterday and called it heavy but we’d have only called it good to soft, we felt it was lovely ground.
“We took six. Shishkin, Jonbon, Dusart, Chantry House, Luccia and an ex-French horse called Excello. They all had a nice time, they didn’t do anything spectacular, it was just a nice day out.
“We’re thinking of Haydock for Shishkin and the Betfair Chase, while the Shloer is a possible for Jonbon.
“They are all coming along nicely, a lot of our horses worked on the grass last weekend, they are all schooling and so far so good, a lot of them are ready to go.
“It’s completely different to last year when it was like a road. Our grass was beautiful last weekend, they’ll all work again this weekend but it was just about giving them a nice time today, an away day.”
One Henderson big gun who stayed back in Seven Barrows, is Constitution Hill. His comeback date is a few weeks away, so he remained at home for the time being.
“Constitution Hill doesn’t need to be ready until December 2 and the Fighting Fifth, he’s got a little bit more time so he’s well, he’ll work again on Saturday and I’m sure he’ll go away somewhere before Newcastle,” said Henderson.
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Nicky Henderson’s two stable stars both won their sixth Grade Ones at Aintree on Thursday. But it is fair to say in rather different circumstances.
While Constitution Hill’s cruise to victory in the William Hill Aintree Hurdle went according to plan, Shishkin’s game success in the Alder Hey Aintree Bowl was – like his season as a whole – far from straightforward.
Nevertheless, it will have been a relief to the master of Seven Barrows that Shishkin is ending his campaign on a winning note given how it started in the Tingle Creek, and if anything he looked as if the Gold Cup distance will be well within his compass.
As for Constitution Hill, what is there left to say? The result was never in doubt, we already know there is not another hurdler in training capable of getting him off the bridle. How he is campaigned next term at least gives us something to dream about.
There are plenty who would love to see Henderson and owner Michael Buckley give him the chance to emulate the great mare Dawn Run, the only horse who has won the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup. However, they would surely be passing up the chance to win multiple Champion Hurdles, and who can blame them if they are tempted by that?
“You can do anything you like with him, people questioned whether he would stay two and a half miles, he’ll stay any miles you like and you can go to the front or you can go to the back,” said Henderson.
“Nobody else was going to go on today so what was the point messing about, he may as well just get on with it.
“He jumps so beautifully, doesn’t he. I think that was probably the easiest race to watch with him, he was always going well and when you are travelling like that, in a slightly slower gear over two and a half, it makes it even easier for him.
“He’s deadly accurate and so natural. We’ll probably school him before we put him to bed (for the summer), just so we know what we are talking about. But I honestly don’t know right now what we’ll do.”
As for Shishkin, he has gone from being the perfect pupil to something of an enigma – albeit still very much a top-class one.
Having won 10 races in a row it all went wrong in last year’s Champion Chase and he was well beaten in the Tingle Creek on his return.
Shishkin and jockey Nico de Boinville (Mike Egerton/PA)
He had a wind operation, was stepped up in trip and looked as good as ever when winning at Ascot before he jumped deplorably in the Ryanair at Cheltenham before staying on into second.
Upped even further to three miles, he wore down Ahoy Senor and now the King George – and maybe even the Gold Cup – is on his agenda.
“He was so much better today than at Cheltenham. He does finish very well, he’s tough and he stays, but he is getting quite lazy in his races,” said Henderson.
“He’s won that by staying – his first race over three miles – so the trainer has got it wrong for the last two years, we know that!
“We admitted that after the Tingle Creek, he won a Grade One over two-mile-five at Ascot, we thought we were right staying at that trip in the Ryanair but to be honest he wouldn’t have won over any trip.
“Three miles is where we’ll stay, we won’t be coming back. I know the Gold Cup is not much further than this, but it is a different track. The obvious place is the King George, then take it from there. Whether you go Betfair and then King George, you are fairly limited in your options but the King George is the obvious target. He won’t go to Punchestown now.
“He used to be very straightforward but, like everybody, he gets a bit creaky.
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The King George VI Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup could be among Shishkin’s targets next season after the top-class chaser kicked in the turbo to secure the Alder Hey Aintree Bowl.
Nicky Henderson’s charge earned superstar status by winning his first 10 completed starts over obstacles, a run which included successive victories at the Cheltenham Festival and three Grade Ones.
The wheels came off in last season’s Champion Chase, with Henderson putting his abject performance on desperate ground down to a rare bone condition, while a fairly uninspiring start to the current campaign in the Tingle Creek at Sandown suggested his best days may be behind him.
Not for the first time, however, Henderson weaved his magic, getting Shishkin back to something like his best when stepped up in trip for February’s Ascot Chase, after which he did remarkably well to finish second in last month’s Ryanair after a performance lacking much zest.
The Seven Barrows handler felt the time had come for his former star two-miler over three miles and he was the 7-4 favourite to successfully graduate to the staying trip on Merseyside.
Once again it was not entirely plain sailing, with Nico de Boinville having to get lower in the saddle on a couple of occasions while Ahoy Senor attempted to make all under Brian Hughes.
Nico de Boinville celebrates Shishkin’s Aintree success (Mike Egerton/PA)
The latter looked likely to prevail after drawing clear between the final two fences, but as has been the case on a few occasions over the years, Shishkin saved his best for late in the day, thrusting home on the run-in to get up and beat Ahoy Senor by a length and a half.
Henderson said: “He’s a very good horse and that was a very good race, fair play to Ahoy Senor, he was going well in the Gold Cup when he came down. It was a genuine Grade One race. We were almost here to find out who was second best – without Bravemansgame we haven’t really solved that.
“He was so much better today than at Cheltenham. He does finish very well, he’s tough and he stays but he is getting quite lazy in his races.
“He’s won that by staying – his first race over three miles – so the trainer has got it wrong for the last two years, we know that!
“We admitted that after the Tingle Creek, he won a Grade One over two-mile-five at Ascot, we thought we were right staying at that trip in the Ryanair but to be honest he wouldn’t have won over any trip.
“There were a few issues, he was very sore all over and we’ve had lots of people working on him. We took the tongue tie off as he didn’t like that. We’ve got to tweak things and that’s our job. I think it’s body not mind.”
Henderson will now stick at three miles with Shishkin, with the King George VI Chase at Kempton an “obvious” target next term.
He added: “Three miles is where we’ll stay, we won’t be coming back. I know the Gold Cup is not much further than this but it is a different track. The obvious place is the King George, then take it from there. Whether you go Betfair and then King George, you are fairly limited in your options but the King George is the obvious target. He won’t go to Punchestown now.
“He used to be very straightforward but like everybody, he gets a bit creaky. We had the four weeks and it’s all worked.
“When you are racing over three miles you want them racing lazily, you don’t want them to be keen when you up them in trip. You’d rather see him wake up a little bit more, we’ll see, I might have a few more tricks yet.”
Ahoy Senor (red) was just denied by Shishkin (Mike Egerton/PA)
Lucinda Russell was more than satisfied with Ahoy Senor’s effort in defeat.
She said: “I’m exceedingly proud of him and let’s face it, Shishkin is a fabulous horse who keeps galloping.
“It must have been hard for Brian (Hughes) who had never ridden him before, but he thought he had them at the last.
“I think he got tired eight strides before the last, he made that mistake and he was slightly on the back foot.”
A Plus Tard was the only other finisher in the five-runner heat, with Conflated and Ga Law both pulled up.
Henry de Bromhead was upbeat after A Plus Tard’s third place (Tim Goode/PA)
Despite being beaten a total of 17 and a half lengths, Henry de Bromhead was pleased to see A Plus Tard finish his first race this year, having been pulled up in both the Betfair Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup on his only two starts.
He said: “Obviously he didn’t finish off the race as well as we would have liked but there were still positives.
“It was effectively his first run of the year, and Rachael (Blackmore) said he jumped and travelled well but got tired.
“She was happy with him until then and he’s heading back in the right direction.
“We are happier than we were and that will be it because he’s so much better going left-handed, and we won’t look towards Punchestown.”
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Cheveley Park Stud director Richard Thompson is cautiously optimistic A Plus Tard will show his true colours in the Alder Hey Aintree Bowl on Thursday.
Henry de Bromhead’s charge looked set to become the dominant force in the division following an imperious 15-length victory in last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, but little has gone right since.
The nine-year-old returned unsatisfactory blood test results following a disappointing defence of the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November, while a late setback denied him the opportunity to bounce back in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.
Connections ultimately decided to head straight back to Cheltenham, where after travelling well for a long way, he was badly hampered by the fall of Ahoy Senor and the brought-down Sounds Russian, which ultimately led to him being pulled up by Rachael Blackmore.
Having failed to complete a race since his Gold Cup romp 13 months ago, A Plus Tard clearly has questions to answer ahead of his first appearance at Aintree, but hopes are high in the Cheveley Park camp that he can get his career back on track.
A Plus Tard winning the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup (David Davies/PA)
Thompson said: “It’s been a difficult season for him, as we all know.
“He was travelling well in the Gold Cup until he got hampered. Would he have troubled the first two, who knows, but he was travelling well.
“I think we’re just hoping that he can travel like that again and show the class that he’s got. We want to see a good, positive showing and signs that he is back to himself.
“I’m not going to say he’s going to win it because it’s a very a hot race, but it’s great to be involved and we look forward to taking our chance.
“He’s won four Grade Ones for us and is a double winner at Cheltenham. He’s won a Gold Cup and a Betfair Chase in imperious fashion – he’s been a great horse for us whatever happens.”
A Plus Tard over the last at Cheltenham last season (Mike Egerton/PA)
The Lucinda Russell-trained Ahoy Senor won the Cotswold Chase over course and distance before his Gold Cup fall and he returns to a track he knows well.
Winner of the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at massive odds of 66-1 in 2021 before landing the Mildmay Novices’ Chase by five lengths last term, Russell believes Ahoy Senor is primed for another bold showing.
“He’s in great form, I’m looking forward to the good ground with him,” Russell said.
Ahoy Senor winning over hurdles at Aintree (Alan Crowhurst/PA)
“This looks a tough race, tougher even than the Gold Cup I think, but he’s in good form and we travel with hope.
“It’s been quite handy to have that extra time between the two meetings, he’s been thriving.
“He always seems to go well at this time of year, he’s quite a spring-time horse.”
Nico de Boinville will reunite with Shishkin after the duo finished second to Envoi Allen in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.
Shishkin and Nico de Boinville at Ascot (Steven Paston/PA)
Nicky Henderson’s charge was the evens favourite for the event and eventually came home two and three-quarter lengths behind the winner.
“I think we were a bit deflated after Cheltenham, although he did stay on really well up the hill,” de Boinville told Sky Sports Racing.
“We’ve tried to work a few things out and he seems to be in really good order at home – he’s been working well and schooling well.
“He was just never happy from the word go (at Cheltenham). He was never really happy and never really jumping and made hard work of it.
“I don’t think you can really question his temperament given the way he seemed to battle on up the hill and everything has been right since then.
Shishkin and Henderson (Steven Paston/PA)
“I’m staying nice and positive and when he’s on-song, he’ll be very hard to beat.
“All the ability is there, it’s just a case of bringing it all together.”
Gordon Elliott’s Gold cup third Conflated takes his chance while Jamie Snowden’s Ga Law, who did not meet the criteria for a planned Grand National bid, completes a field of five after Bravemansgame was withdrawn from the race by the British Horseracing Authority.
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Lucinda Russell may have the Randox Grand National favourite but there could be earlier celebrations if Ahoy Senor shines in the Alder Hey Aintree Bowl Chase.
The eight-year-old fell at the 17th fence in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but prior to that won the Cotswold Chase over course and distance in January.
He has shone at Aintree before, winning the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at massive odds of 66-1 in 2021 and taking the Mildmay Novices’ Chase by five lengths at the meeting the following season.
Though the Festival did not go to plan, the racing calendar has fallen in such a way this term that there is an extra week between two big spring meetings – a boon for horses running in both.
“He’s in great form, I’m looking forward to the good ground with him,” Russell said.
Ahoy Senor winning over hurdles at Aintree (Alan Crowhurst/PA)
“This looks a tough race, tougher even than the Gold Cup I think, but he’s in good form and we travel with hope.
“It’s been quite handy to have that extra time between the two meetings, he’s been thriving.
“He always seems to go well at this time of year, he’s quite a spring-time horse.”
Paul Nicholls’ Bravemansgame was the runner-up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup when last seen, finishing seven lengths behind Willie Mullins’ Galopin Des Champs.
The third-placed horse was a further six and a half lengths behind him and Nicholls was delighted with his performance under Harry Cobden.
Bravemansgame (right) in the Cheltenham Gold Cup (Tim Goode/PA)
“Bravemansgame ran the race of his life in finishing second in the Gold Cup. It was a hell of a race, as good a Gold Cup as you will see with an end-to-end gallop,” Nicholls told his Betfair blog.
“He was pinpoint accurate at his fences and was the only one to make a race of it with the winner Galopin Des Champs.
“Bravemansgame looks tremendous, has been working really well and there is no sign of his having a hard race at the Festival.
“I’m expecting another big run from him and would argue that if he is not at his best now, I doubt he will be if we wait for Punchestown in two weeks’ time.”
Nico de Boinville will reunite with Shishkin after the duo finished second to Envoi Allen in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.
Shishkin and Nico de Boinville at Ascot (Steven Paston/PA)
Nicky Henderson’s charge was the evens favourite for the event and eventually came home two and three-quarter lengths behind the winner.
“I think we were a bit deflated after Cheltenham, although he did stay on really well up the hill,” de Boinville told Sky Sports Racing.
“We’ve tried to work a few things out and he seems to be in really good order at home – he’s been working well and schooling well.
“He was just never happy from the word go (at Cheltenham). He was never really happy and never really jumping and made hard work of it.
“I don’t think you can really question his temperament given the way he seemed to battle on up the hill and everything has been right since then.
Shishkin and Henderson (Steven Paston/PA)
“I’m staying nice and positive and when he’s on-song, he’ll be very hard to beat.
“All the ability is there, it’s just a case of bringing it all together.”
Gordon Elliott’s Conflated is one of two Irish-trained runners in the race and heads to Aintree following a third-placed run in the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The nine-year-old, who is owned by Gigginstown House Stud, was second in the Bowl last season when coming home a length behind Clan Des Obeaux.
Elliott told the At The Races website: “He’s going to run in the Aintree Bowl. It looks a hot race, but he came out of Cheltenham in very good form, and we’re keen to let him take his chance.
Gordon Elliott’s Conflated (Niall Carson/PA)
“Maybe he didn’t quite get home in the Gold Cup, but he saw out this course and distance at Aintree very well last year. I think he has a good chance.”
Henry de Bromhead’s A Plus Tard, pulled up when defending his Gold Cup crown, is the other Irish contender in the race.
Jamie Snowden’s Ga Law, who did not meet the criteria for a planned Grand National bid, completes the field of six after a gallant fifth in the Ryanair.
Shishkin will step up to three miles in the Aintree Bowl, with trainer Nicky Henderson rating the April 13 contest as the potential “race of the year”.
The nine-year-old was a dominant force in the two-mile chase division until he was pulled up in the 2022 Champion Chase and after struggling on his return in the Tingle Creek, Henderson successfully stepped him up to two miles and five furlongs for an impressive 16-length victory in the Ascot Chase.
Shishkin was duly sent off the evens favourite for the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham but he was slow to stride and a bad mistake three fences from home cost him valuable momentum, with the gelding eventually staying on to finish a two-and-three-quarter-length second to Envoi Allen.
Shishkin was a wide-margin winner at Ascot in February (Steven Paston/PA)
Henderson will now roll the dice at a longer distance on Merseyside, where possible rivals include Bravemansgame, Conflated and Protektorat, the respective second, third and fifth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, as well as the 2021 Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard.
The Seven Barrows trainer said: “The Bowl is going to be some race because everyone’s threatening to run. It won’t be a re-run of the Gold Cup because I can’t see the Gold Cup winner coming (Galopin Des Champs), but I can see the rest of them coming. So he’s going to have join in with them. It could easily be the best race of the year.
“Ascot suggested that two-miles-five-furlongs wasn’t a problem, so you’re going three extra furlongs on an easier track. So it shouldn’t technically be a problem.
“If this works then that will definitely tell us where we go next year. You’d be thinking about the King George or even the Betfair Chase to start with. And if the King George goes well then obviously you’ve got to think about the Gold Cup. But again, everything has to go right.”
Nicky Henderson with Aintree hopeful Shishkin (David Davies/PA)
Henderson admitted he and his team have needed to address a couple of issues since Cheltenham, after Shishkin hung left throughout the race.
He added: “We haven’t found issues that we haven’t corrected and I’m hopeful he won’t do all that again. He shouldn’t. We haven’t done anything dramatic, it was more physio, chiropractors – hopefully we’ve helped him.
“He’s a horse that has in the past had a few issues. We had those issues and we got him right and it all came together at Ascot and then we slightly fluffed our lines at Cheltenham, which was sad.
“But he still finished a remarkably good second, having got it all wrong. So if we have ironed that out then we’ve got every right to think we must have a chance at Aintree.”
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Nicky Henderson was left mulling over whether he made the right decision to run Shishkin in the Ryanair Chase rather than the Cheltenham Gold Cup after he stayed on to finish second to Envoi Allen.
Bidding for a third Festival success, the former Supreme and Arkle winner was odds-on for last season’s Queen Mother Champion Chase but never travelled on soft ground and was pulled up early by Nico de Boinville.
Subsequently diagnosed with a rare bone condition, he was brought back slowly and after finishing 15 lengths second to Edwardstone in the Tingle Creek at Sandown, he was stepped up in trip and duly took the Ascot Chase by 16 lengths.
However, over the same two miles and five furlongs of the Ryanair, he did not quite look himself, jumping left on occasions and making an error at a crucial stage which briefly halted momentum.
Though staying on well after the last, he was never catching Envoi Allen, whose two-and three-quarter-length success was a third at the Festival after victories in the 2019 Champion Bumper and in the Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle a year later.
Henderson said: “He wasn’t really travelling like we hoped he would. Early on, he wasn’t looking that happy about it, but he’s done bloody well to finish where he has.
“Maybe I should have listened to those people who said we should have gone three and a quarter (mile, in the Gold Cup) – it looked as if that’s what he wanted.”
Asked to put his finger on why Shishkin ran so inconsistently, Henderson added: “I don’t know, it’s unlike him to go left like that – and he was going markedly left.
“He ran at Ascot last time and if you go left round Ascot, you finish up in Windsor Castle and that’s that!
“He schooled on Monday and you’ve never seen a horse jump five fences straighter and quicker, so we’ll have to take him apart and tighten a few nuts and bolts.
“He made one bad mistake coming down the hill, but look at how well he’s finished. I was a bit worried over the first two fences because he looked outpaced again, but he got back there – he’s determined if nothing else.
“Envoi Allen was going to be the next coming when he was young and they’ve done very well, they’ve got him back to his very best.
“You could say it came too soon after Ascot for us, it was a bit of a rush but I certainly want to run him in four weeks’ time over three miles at Aintree – that’s the obvious thing to do.”
De Boinville said Shishkin never gave him the same encouragement as he had felt when scoring so impressively at Ascot.
“It never really went right from when the tapes went up. Even down at the start he was curling up on me a bit and sitting back on his haunches a bit,” said the jockey.
“Over the first two fences he wasn’t taking me anywhere, whereas at Ascot I was able to travel and jump and dictate where I wanted to be. This time I was pushed here there and everywhere.
Nico de Boinville (left) and Nicky Henderson set to run Shishkin over three miles at Aintree (Steven Paston/PA)
“He was hanging a bit left and wasn’t the same horse that we saw at Ascot, but we know what he can do, so we’ll get him home and get him absolutely spot-on, and I’m sure he’ll be going three miles at Aintree.
“Over the first two fences it did feel a bit like last year and I was thinking, ‘Oh God’, but all credit to the horse – he’s very genuine, he made an error down the hill and has managed to get back for second when he had every right to be pulled up or tailed off.
“We know what he can do on his good days and there’ll be plenty more good days to come.”
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