Stupid? Sensational Shishkin should go for Cheltenham Gold Cup

Nicky Henderson knows more about training racehorses than Matt Chapman. Who knew?

The outspoken ITV Racing and Sky Sports Racing presenter had got in the 72-year-old trainer’s head at his press day earlier in the week, with the Seven Barrows maestro exasperated by Chapman’s insistence that his nine-year-old should’ve been entered for the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase.

“He tells me I’m a plonker,” wheezed Henderson. “I’ve nothing for the Champion Chase, unless Matt Chapman is right and I’m a complete so and so for not entering Shishkin. We’ll find that out on Saturday.”

Well find out we did. Shishkin roared back to his best, beating a couple of very solid yardsticks out of sight in Pic D’Orhy and Fakir D’Oudairies, his 16-length win emphatically proving that he did indeed need to go further. He settled beautifully over the 2m5f trip in the Betfair Ascot Chase. He travelled comfortably, jumped straight and swift and finished like a train. This was a top-class horse back operating at his very best.

And the Champion Chase shouldn’t be on anyone connected with Shishkin’s mind after this. No Queen Mother entry from Henderson was the right call. Physically Henderson has him where he wants him for the first time in 12 months. He might be over the rare bone condition, the flipped palate and the kick he got at the start in the Tingle Creek, but he also thrived at the trip and there’s no going back now.

Bookmaker reaction was as rapid as Shishkin after the last. Slashed across the board for the Ryanair Chase, he’s even-money in places, a best of 11/10 and he’ll probably go off odds-on on the day.

With Allaho absent from the Festival, Shishkin is by far the best horse in the Ryanair division. A two-time winner at the Cheltenham Festival, he obviously has pedigree in that regard too. I’ve heard the Betfair Ascot Chase hasn’t been a great pointer to Cheltenham, but Albertas Run, Riverside Theatre and Cue Card all ran in this race before winning the Ryanair between 2010 and 2013, with the latter duo winning both races.

It is the obvious route, but is it the right one?

Shishkin, a winning pointer over three miles and related to horses who stayed further than that, was not stopping at the finish line over 2m5f on Saturday. He ran right through it, even with Nico de Boinville raising his left arm aloft in celebration 20 yards before the winning post.

Yes, the Cheltenham Gold Cup is over five furlongs further, but do you look at that performance and see a horse that definitely won’t get the 3m2f trip? You do not.

And though the Ryanair Chase was a Gold Cup launchpad for Imperial Commander, that was different. Imperial Commander was eight when he won the Ryanair. Shishkin is nine and in his prime. If he’s ever going to go for Gold it should be now.

Henderson was canny enough to give him a Gold Cup entry. He’s in there and the bookmakers cut him to as short as 6/1, some 8s, some 10s and the ones who aren’t Non Runner No Bet went 20s.

Just imagine. Galopin des Champs, A Plus Tard and Shishkin, all fighting it out in the Gold Cup. All three with that unique blend of speed and stamina, all three with that Kauto Star-like X Factor. It could be a Gold Cup for the ages. Henderson has the key.

Of course, we’ve been here before. We are here a lot. The expansion of the Cheltenham Festival to four days has brought more races and with it the dilution of the championship events. I know, you’re sick of hearing it and I’m sick of writing it. It is what it is.

I like the Ryanair Chase. It has delivered some fantastic winners like Imperial Commander, Albertas Run, Cue Card, Vautour and Allaho. It has its place at the Festival, unlike some other races. And if Shishkin goes there and wins easily I will enjoy it.

That looks by far the most likely outcome. Of the chances of Shishkin taking up his Gold Cup entry, Henderson said: “I would have thought it would be pretty stupid, but I’ve done some stupid things in my time so far!"

But going for the best race in the sport with one of the best horses around is not stupid. The Ryanair Chase is fine, but it is not the Gold Cup.

And there’s nothing wrong with wishing and hoping, nothing wrong with imploring the sport’s main players to deliver the kind of championship contests that the Festival deserves.

“He’s too good for the Ryanair,” said Chapman to Henderson on Sky Sports Racing in the aftermath of Saturday’s feature. “What about the prestige?”

You know what Nicky, I think this time he might be right.

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