All eyes on Shishkin as Supreme hero makes chasing bow

Graham Clark and Ashley Iveson
November 22, 2020 4:15 pm

Indefatigable also stars on classy Kempton card.

Nicky Henderson is looking forward to seeing Shishkin get his career over fences under way at Kempton Park on Monday.

Last season’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner will be a warm order to dispatch of four rivals in the two-and-a-quarter-mile Racing TV Beginners’ Chase – the same race in which his esteemed stablemate Altior made a successful chasing debut four years ago.

Henderson said: “It’s a nice introductory track to go to first time over fences. Shishkin has done lots of schooling and he has been very good at it, but he has got to do it on a racecourse now like any other horse.

“He should be all right as he has done nothing wrong, that’s for sure. There has not been one of his calibre we have sent chasing for a couple of years.

Shishkin = the King! 👑
A superb ride from @NdeBoinville as Shishkin stays on strongly to win the first race of the 2020 #CheltenhamFestival presented by @MagnersUK 🏆

The @SkyBet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle goes to @sevenbarrows pic.twitter.com/wmp3yTc9EQ
— CheltenhamRacecourse (@CheltenhamRaces) March 10, 2020

“Everything that possibly could go wrong in the Supreme went wrong. He and Nico (de Boinville) did an amazing job to get back into the race when you consider he was all but in the car park at one stage – it was a great performance.

“It is the same race that Altior started in. There are one or two of ours that have needed a run, but hopefully he should be fine.”

Shishkin is taken on by the Paul Nicholls-trained Mick Pastor, Olly Murphy’s Sangha River, Brian Barr’s At Its Own Expense and Battle Anthem from Richard Rowe’s yard.

The feature event on the card is the Listed Racing TV Mares’ Hurdle, in which Paul Webber’s Cheltenham Festival heroine Indefatigable is the star attraction.

Indefatigable returns to the jumping game at Kempton (Nigel French/PA)

The seven-year-old has not been seen over jumps since claiming a last-gasp victory in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle in March, but did recently finish down the field in a Listed race on the all-weather at Lingfield.

Webber said: “We were thinking about running her over hurdles at Wetherby a few weeks ago, but we didn’t want to bottom her on soft ground, so we ran her on the all-weather instead.

“We always knew she’d lose ground at the stalls, but she ran on well and wasn’t beaten much further than the ground she lost at the start. She had a nice blow, so I hope that should put her spot on for Monday.

“I haven’t really thought beyond this race – it’s hard enough getting one thing right! She wouldn’t want winter, heavy ground, so we’ll pick our way a little bit.”