Cheltenham Festival: Shishkin lands Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in thrilling finish
Written by News on 10/03/2020
Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin came from some way off the pace to deny Abacadabras in a thrilling finish to the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, the opening race of the 2020 Cheltenham Festival.
The six-year-old, ridden by Nico de Boinville, edged his duel with Abacadabras after the last in an eventful edition of the novices’ extended two-mile championship.
Victory was a tonic for the Henderson yard, with stable star Altior having been ruled out of the defence of his Champion Chase crown earlier on Tuesday.
But it was almost not to be at the second last hurdle, where Shishkin was one of a number of horses badly hampered by the fall of Elixir D’Ainay, who had just about hit the front despite being constantly hampered by Asterion Forlonge, who himself had been jumping badly to his right.
De Boinville managed to escape the melee and made up his ground to jump the last alongside Abacadabras before narrowly getting the better of his rival in the closing strides.
Henderson’s Chantry House finished third ahead of Asterion Forlonge and yet another Seven Barrows inmate Allart, who filled fifth position.
“We say it every year, that something will come and bite you and sadly this year it was Altior, so it’s a relief to begin with a winner,” the victorious trainer said.
“He was one of our more powerful shots of the week, but all three ran well really – they are three lovely horses.
“I couldn’t see what was happening to Shishkin coming down the hill, he got slightly hampered and Barry (Geraghty) looked in the right place on Chantry House, but Shishkin has got those gears – and he needed them.
“Nico was cool-headed, we know he’s cool round here.”
De Boinville said: “It wasn’t a very nice experience, to be honest – everything that could go wrong did go wrong. It just shows what a fantastic horse this is going forward – he has got so much ability, and I’m looking forward to him going chasing.
“That’s his first time in a big field like that in front of a big crowd – it was just a case of finding where and when he could travel. I pulled him back down the hill just to give him a bit of light and get him back on the bridle, and then he’s just taken me into the straight.”
(c) Sky Sports 2020: Cheltenham Festival: Shishkin lands Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in thrilling finish
