Shishkin takes aim for Supreme challenge

Shishkin was all talk beforehand as being the horse with the most to prove, and the current Sky Bet Supreme Novices Hurdle favourite did just that with a facile but dominating victory in the Betway Sidney Banks Memorial Novices Hurdle at Huntingdon under a confident Nico De Boinville for trainer Nicky Henderson.

Sent off a 1/2f, the 6 year old made light work of the dramatic step up in Grade, sweeping aside talented Grade 2 performers like they were mere pit ponies, bounding clear from in between the last two hurdles to score by 11 lengths, as he had done at Newbury the time before.

Setting off in front on flagfall was Jamie Snowden's Pacify, and after the field had cleared flight one Hang In There took up the running. Shishkin was settled in the middle by Nico De Boinville, with Shan Blue and Harry Skelton nestled in rear with Up The Straight and James Davies bringing up the tail of the field.

All jumping fluidly, there was not much change in the order until swinging into the home straight and the business end of the race. Pacify was quickly beaten and started to weaken away, and as the field approached the penultimate hurdle Shishkin was sent forward by Nico and he jumped the last level with leader Hang In There.

He jumped it far better than the leader in fact, as Hang In There got the hurdle wrong and slithered on landing, coming to grief and unshipping Adam Wedge, though thankfully both horse and jockey were up fine and unscathered. It left Shishkin clear of his opponents, with only one hurdle between him and certain victory. He jumped it with accuracy and careered away from the flight, leaving all his remaining rivals in his wake to score by 11 lengths, with Shan Blue runner up, Up The Straight taking third, while Pacify trailed home a well beaten fourth.

Post race, he was shortened by many bookmakers to between 5/2 and 3/1 for the Cheltenham Festival curtain-raiser, and speaking after the race his trainer confirmed that he would be aimed at that race, rather than the longer Ballymore on the Wednesday. It will be an exciting clash between him and the owners' Asterion Forlonge, who was impressive at Leopardstown last weekend and is also expected to run in the same race. Which comes out on top in 5 weeks time?