With the Nicky Henderson yard expected to run their former Arkle winner in Saturday’s Sandown Fighting Fifth Hurdle – we ask, when did Shishkin last run over hurdles? Plus, with Shishkin’s last outing over the smaller obstacles a while back, we give racing fans a reminder on his record over hurdles.
Shishkin Last Ran Over Hurdles In The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in 2020
You have to go back to March 10th 2020 to find Shishkin’s last run over hurdles – which came with a winning run in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival (watch below).
The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is the traditional Cheltenham Festival curtain raiser and in 2020 the Nicky Henderson-trained Shishkin got punters off to a flyer. Beating Abacadabras by just a head under jockey Nico de Boinville.
Shishkin drifted with the best UK horse racing betting sites that day to eventually return at odds of 6/1. That win followed up Henderson’s success in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with Altior in 2016 and to date the trainer has won the race five times.
Prior to this win, Shishkin has run just three times over hurdles. His first try over the sticks resulted in an early fall winning at Newbury on 18th December 2019.
However, he quickly made amends by turning out at Newbury again – winning at the Berkshire track on 15th January 2020. He added a second career win at Huntingdon on 6th February 2020.
After that Supreme Novices’ Hurdle win, Shishkin’s owner Joe Donnelly and Nicky Henderson decided to bypass another season over hurdles. Instead, they opted to go straight over fences.
Shishkin has remained over fences ever since – running 13 times over the bigger obstacles (9 wins), including taking the 2021 Arkle Novices’ Chase and the 2023 Ascot Chase.
Why Is Shishkin Running Back Over Hurdles?
Shishkin’s trainer Nicky Henderson has the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day as a target for his 9 year-old chaser, where he’s a general 6/1 chance in the betting with the best online gambling sites.
However, Shishkin has not raced since April 13th 2023, when winning the Aintree Bowl at the Grand National Meeting.
He had intended to run on Saturday November 25th at Ascot in the 1965 Chase but planted himself at the start and refused to race (watch below).
Henderson then tried to run him in the Rehearsal Chase at Newcastle on Saturday 2nd December. However, that card was called off due to the weather. So, with options running thin and Nicky Henderson needing to get a run into Shishkin, then reverting him back over hurdles in the Fighting Fifth was one of the alternatives.
This Saturday’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle was meant to be run at Newcastle last weekend, but was abandoned. The Grade Two race has now been slotted into an 8-race Tingle Creek card on Saturday 9th December and will be run at 1:15pm.
Shishkin Hurdles Record and Runs
- Runs: 4
- Wins: 3
- Last Hurdles Run: 10th March 2020, 1st Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Cheltenham Festival)
- Prize Money (Hurdles): £92,172
Shishkin Hurdles Runs
- 10th March 2020 (Cheltenham): 1st (6/1) Supreme Novices’ Hurdle
- 6th February 2020 (Huntingdon): 1st (1/2 fav) Novice Hurdle
- 15th January 2019 (Newbury): 1st (7/4 jfav) Novice Hurdle
- 18th December 2019 (Newbury): Fell (8/11 fav) Maiden Hurdle
When Is The Fighting Fifth Hurdle (Sandown)?
📅Date: Saturday 9th December 2023
🕙Time: 1:15pm
🏇Racecourse: Sandown (2m, hurdles)
💰 Winner: £45,016
📺 TV: ITV4 / Racing TV
Shishkin Expected To Take On His Star Stablemate Constitution Hill In Fighting Fifth
Shishkin will also take on his stablemate and star hurdler Constitution Hill in Saturday’s Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Sandown.
Constitution Hill, who is 7-from-7 over hurdles and won the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last season, is rated 175. While Shishkin has a mark of 173 over fences.
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