Nicky Henderson looking forward to Doncaster test for highly-rated Shishkin

NICKY HENDERSON is the first to admit his good fortune at training two-mile steeplechasers of the calibre of Sprinter Sacre and Altior.

However the champion trainer is pinching himself at the prospect of Shishkin being a worthy successor to these superstars who are both dual Queen Mother Champion Chase winners.

And Henderson will know more about Shishkin’s prodigious potential after tomorrow’s Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Lightning Novices’ Chase at Doncaster.

The winner of last season’s Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, a race that the aforementioned Altior won in his formative years, Shishkin is unbeaten from two starts over fences – both of which were at Kempton.

But Henderson, and jockey Nico de Boinville, are keen for the season’s leading novice chaser to have another run before the Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham, a race that both Sprinter Sacre and Altior have won.

And Town Moor is no stranger to Henderson’s steeplechasing superstars – it was here that Sprinter Sacre made a winning chase debut in December 2011 under shellshocked jockey David Bass who had never been so fast over a fence.

“He’s a very straightforward horse and I’m hoping he’s straightforward enough to cope with what is probably going to be very messy ground,” said Henderson.

“He has been in soft ground before. He jumped five fences the other day and was very good and Nico was happy.

“This seems the sensible place to be going. There are only two races you can run him in between now and the Arkle – the Kingmaker at Warwick is the alternative, but it’s the same day as we would like to be running Altior at Newbury, so I don’t really want them to be in two different places at the same time.

“Within reason I think this is the right place to be. Doncaster is a good novice chase course. The fences have got to be jumped and this is always a good race. Shishkin is a genuine two-miler, so this should be a good place to be, even if it’s a bit wet.”

Shishkin runs in the colours of Joe Donnelly and wife Marie whose Al Boum Photo will bid to win a third successive Gold Cup in March.

As for Altior, Henderson says the 2018 and 2019 Champion Chase hero will reappear at Newbury next month.

He was beaten for just the second time in 17 starts over fences when making his belated reappearance at Kempton last month, with a lethargic display seeing him finish second behind Nube Negra. “There’s lots of conjecture about whether he’ll run in the Champion Chase or the Ryanair, but I’m expecting to run him in the Champion Chase,” he said.

Cap Du Nord heads the 13-strong field for tomorrow’s Sky Bet Chase at Doncaster.

Trained by Christian Williams, the eight-year-old won at Newbury earlier this season before chasing home potential Gold Cup runner Royale Pagaille at Kempton over Christmas.

That form was boosted by Royale Pagaille’s runaway win under top weight in Haydock’s Peter Marsh Chase last weekend.

Rehearsal Chase winner Yorkhill has been declared for trainer Sandy Thomson and jockey Ryan Mania, but only as his second preference in case Cheltenham’s meeting is lost to the weather. An inspection this afternoon will determine if there’s any chance of tomorrow’s Festival Trials meeting being saved.

Brian Ellison has confirmed that Definitly Red misses the Sky Bet Chase due to a tooth abcess.

However the Malton trainer hopes to run the veteran at Newbury or Kelso next month before a tilt at the Randox Grand National.

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