Shishkin overcomes rare bone injury and has Cheltenham Festival 2023 in his sights

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Cheltenham Festival favourite Shishkin looks set to return to fitness in time for the Queen Mother Champion Chase at next year’s festival. That’s according to his trainer, Nicky Henderson, who described Shishkin as looking “absolutely magnificent” since returning to the gallops.  

The two-time winner at Cheltenham was going for a hat-trick of wins this year when the heavily odds-on favourite was pulled up mid-race by jockey Nico de Boinville. It was later discovered that Shishkin suffered from an exceptionally rare bone condition, and the two-mile chaser was forced to sit out the rest of the season. 

Although pundits felt that Shishkin’s demise was due largely to the softer ground conditions on the day of the race, later scans picked up the bone issue. 

Shishkin’s injury was undiagnosed for days after the 2022 Champion Chase 

Henderson said Shishkin was “lame for a couple of days” after the race in March and, although the ground wasn’t in his favour, the team felt something else was “bugging” him. 

Henderson and the team carried out a “bone scan on his whole body” after Cheltenham, and discovered no less than “four different hotspots” demonstrating areas of lameness on Shishkin’s body. 

With Shishkin out for the rest of the 2022 season, ambitions to race in Sandown’s Celebration Chase were canned. The summer was ring-fenced entirely for relaxation and rehabilitation, giving the 11-time race winner a chance to fully recuperate. 

Henderson revealed he had “a month’s box rest” followed by another month of “walking” before entering “the field” once again. That’s largely because no specific medication could quickly treat his unique condition. 

A summer holiday of recuperation was in order 

Henderson confirmed that Shishkin had spent the summer at Hillwood Stud, owned by Charlie and Tracy Vigors. His trainer said that this is where Shishkin regularly spends his summer holidays.

Despite not turning out with others in the stud, he was able to “enjoy his own space” and undergo “controlled exercise” throughout his stay. 

All eyes look to 2023 with renewed vigour 

Henderson said there is “absolutely no reason” why Shishkin would not be fully prepared to return towards the back end of this year. 

Sandown’s Tingle Creek may already be eyed by connections as a December prospect, giving him an early run with a view to preparing for a return in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival. 

Cheltenham and horseracing meetings, in general, are some of the most popular sporting events in the UK, with racing fans many already counting down the days to the so-called World Cup of Jump Racing. 

The ante-post market for the Champion Chase is also hotting up, with Shishkin currently priced as the second favourite behind Energumene. 

One way of extracting maximum value from ante-post selections – and even on-the-day picks – is to utilise the bookmaker free bet offers aimed at new punters ahead of and during the festival. Given that this meeting is the pinnacle of the UK horseracing season, it’s no surprise to see major odds boosts and free wagers from reputable bookmakers. 

It will be a tough prospect for Shishkin after such a lengthy lay-off, with Willie Mullins’ Energumene certainly likely to take some stopping. Energumene is a tremendous front-runner, which lends itself nicely to racing in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham. 

The Champion Chase is staged around Cheltenham’s ‘Old Course’, which is a sharper ride than the ‘New Course’. The uphill finish is known to cause elements of drama in all races staged on the Old Course, but if Energumene can build a big enough lead in the middle of the race, he could prove difficult to stop. 

Some pundits believe Shishkin would have a strong tilt at the King George VI Chase, with the potential to graduate into a Gold Cup prospect. Time will tell on that score, but for Henderson and co. it’s just good to see such a talented horse back to rude health.

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