Tingle Creek aim for Shishkin following wind surgery

Horse Racing

Top two-mile novice pencilled in for Sandown in December.

Nicky Henderson has revealed stable star Shishkin has undergone wind surgery ahead of an intended return to action in the Tingle Creek at Sandown in December.

The seven-year-old is unbeaten in eight starts since falling on his hurdling debut at Newbury, a run which includes back-to-back wins at the Cheltenham Festival in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Arkle Trophy.

The heir apparent to Henderson’s recently-retired superstar Altior, Shishkin will bid to follow in the hoofprints of his predecessor by winning the Tingle Creek en-route to a likely tilt at the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March.

“In the aftermath of announcing that Altior has been retired, I thought it might be in everyone’s interest to know that Shishkin has recently undergone wind surgery,” Henderson told Unibet.

“After a routine scope, we were just concerned that it might, and I emphasise the word might, pose an issue later in the year so rather than take time out at a crucial stage, we decided it would be prudent to act now rather than be forced to do it mid-season if it happened to be necessary.

“It is a very routine procedure and nothing out of the ordinary so his training will have minimal distractions and the plan is very much to start off in the Tingle Creek at Sandown in December.”

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