Cheltenham festival winner Shishkin dies in tragic accident after fracturing hind leg as Nicky Henderson pays tribute to a ‘great horse, friend and warrior’

Nicky Henderson has suffered a devastating blow after Shishkin, one of many stars of his secure, died following a tragic accident.

Shishkin, a good looking chaser who had received a clutch of leap racing’s greatest prizes, was attributable to head to Eire for the Punchestown competition on Monday: his goal was the Punchestown Gold Cup the place he was set to conflict with the all-conquering Galopin Des Champs.

However Shishkin was discovered to have been forged in his field at Henderson’s Seven Barrows stables on Sunday night – this implies a horse has bought caught when mendacity down and develop into unable to rise up – and suffered irreparable injury to a hind leg when making an attempt to extricate himself.

Owned by Joe and Marie Donnelley, in whose yellow and black silks he had graced the largest occasions at Cheltenham, Aintree, Ascot and past, the impression of shedding Shishkin might be colossal on Henderson, who had come out of the weekend on cloud 9.

He had seen Unbelievable Woman and Jonbon land large prizes on the ultimate home afternoon of the jumps marketing campaign and was assured “Shish” – as Henderson affectionately known as him – might preserve the feel-good issue.

Cheltenham Competition winner Shishkin has died after a tragic accident in his secure

Coach Nicky Henderson issued a press release on X calling the racehorse a ‘good friend and warrior’

However in a put up on Twitter, Henderson reported: ‘Tragically we have misplaced Shishkin this night after he bought forged in his secure and fractured his hind leg.

‘Everybody concerned with Seven Barrows, notably his house owners, Joe and Marie Donnelly, Jaydon [Lee, Shishkin’s groom], Nico [de Boinville] and George [Daly, Henderson’s assistant] are clearly devastated that such an awesome horse, good friend and warrior has gone.

‘He was attributable to go away for Punchestown tomorrow morning however sadly that is now to not be. He was an absolute celebrity and his CV is testomony to that – besides the King George just isn’t in it regardless that we imagine it ought to have been.

‘The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the Arkle had been his Cheltenham highlights, however the battle with Energumene within the Clarence Home at Ascot was in all probability his best.

‘It is a very unhappy evening. He was our star and we are going to always remember him. Thanks Shishkin for the great reminiscences.’