Cheltenham Festival News: Shishkin not a banker in Energumene rematch says Nicky Henderson
Nicky Henderson with his Arkle Trophy hope Shishkin
Nicky Henderson has one of the standout chasers of his generation in Shishkin but the sensible trainer is not counting his chickens till the winning post at Cheltenham on March 16.
Nicky Henderson is playing down the possibility of punters putting down his Shishkin as a "banker" for Cheltenham 2022 after beating Energumene at Ascot last month.
The pair fought a clash of the titans with superstar 8-year-old Shishkin coming out on top.
However Shiskin's winning margin was just a length over the Willie Mullins trained Energumene and the added presence of Chacun Pour Soi and Nube Negra in the Queen Mother Champion Chase means that Henderson isn't considering his charge a dead cert.
"There's no way he can be a banker," said Henderson.
"That was a fantastic race at Ascot and everybody loved it, bar Willie and myself as one of us knew sadly that we were going to go down.
"Obviously it was great we came out in front and it looked as if he had us in trouble but he's a tough horse, ours.
"When you throw Chacun Pour Soi in as well - I know people can say he doesn't travel over well but he could still be a real player.
"There was only a length between them at Ascot so anything could happen. This will be two months later and going the other way around which possibly helps us, but there's not much in it - a length is not a lot."
? Are you going to win the Champion Chase this year, Shishkin?
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) February 21, 2022
Shishkin: pic.twitter.com/SIUlVFee1C
Henderson has sent out some of the best two-mile chasers in the history of the sport in the form of Remittance Man, Travado, Sprinter Sacre and Altior.
Shishkin, though, is a far more economical jumper says the Seven Barrows trainer.
"Shishkin has a different style of jumping to the others, he doesn't have the exuberance of an Altior or a Sprinter, he doesn't stand off his fences as much," said the Seven Barrows handler.
"You hardly notice he leaves the ground, he's very quick from A to B but you don't notice him leave the ground. Altior could throw some massive leaps in, there's a great picture of him jumping the ditch at Sandown, it was ridiculous. This lad crosses a fence in a very different manner, he's very efficient.
"I don't think he's a banker. In their eras they probably were bankers, but we've definitely got a fight on our hands this year. In Altior's and Sprinter's years they were close to bankers, but I don't think this is."
While Henderson admits an easier win at Ascot would settle the nerves, he knows the closeness of the clash is good for the sport.
"Don't get me wrong, I'd have loved to have won by 20 lengths but it was a great race, everyone got what they wanted and it hasn't spoiled the Champion Chase because there was only a length between them, there's room for round two," he said.
"Energumene didn't make the Arkle last year, you can't hold that against him, and we've come up the hill a couple of times before, it didn't look like Chacun did last year but Willie will know what he's doing."
