Shishkin set for chasing debut at Kempton

Henderson’s Arkle favourite one of seven entered on Monday.

Shishkin is in line to make his eagerly-anticipated debut over fences at Kempton on Monday.

The six-year-old has won four of his five starts since joining Nicky Henderson from the Irish point-to-point field, his only defeat coming when suffering an early fall on his first appearance over hurdles at Newbury 12 months ago.

Shishkin went on to win his next three races, including a thrilling victory over Abacadabras in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, and is a best priced 3-1 favourite for next year’s Arkle Trophy.

Speaking at the Ladbrokes Winter Carnival Gallops Morning at Newbury on Tuesday, Henderson said: “I’m thinking of running Shishkin at Kempton on Monday – it is the race we used for Altior.

“He has a piece of work to do tomorrow morning, and then a school. The race is just falling at the right time, and Kempton is a good course to start them off at.

“He is a great, big horse and a great jumper, touch wood.

“If he was a serious Champion Hurdle horse you would go there, but I think he is better off down the two-mile chase route.”

Shishkin is one of seven entries for the two-mile-two-furlong Racing TV Beginners’ Chase, with the Paul Nicholls-trained Pic D’Orhy among his potential rivals.

The latter already has a chase rating of 150 after finishing second on his first start over fences in Britain at Market Rasen last month.

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Nicky Henderson Kempton Shishkin

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