Shishkin is about to step up his distance and run subsequent month’s Grand Nationwide after his struggles within the Ryanair Chase… as coach Nicky Henderson claims ‘he simply did not look completely happy’ through the race
- Shishkin got here in second place within the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham on Thursday
- He was favorite for the race however the Nico de Boinville-ridden horse struggled
Shishkin is about to step as much as three miles at subsequent month’s Grand National assembly after once more struggling for speed when runner-up to Envoi Allen in the Ryanair Chase.
Nicky Henderson’s chaser was in hassle early within the race and made a collection of leaping errors, with a very dangerous one on the third-last that knocked him again to sixth place.
Fourth leaping the final, Nico de Boinville-ridden Shishkin ran on to seize second by a neck from Hitman.
Henderson mentioned: ‘He wasn’t actually travelling like we hoped he would have been, even early. He simply did not look as if he was that completely happy.
‘He is performed rather well to complete the place he has. Perhaps I ought to have listened to all these individuals who mentioned, “Go three and 1 / 4 miles (within the Gold Cup)”, as a result of he appeared as if he needed it.

Shishkin got here second within the Ryanair chase on Thursday after making a number of leaping errors

Coach Nicky Henderson mentioned ‘he wasn’t actually travelling like we hoped he would have been’
‘He completed actually robust. He did make one dangerous mistake coming down the hill. He received again into it, although, so he is decided if nothing else.
‘They’ve performed very nicely to complete second. I definitely wish to run him at Aintree in 4 weeks’ time. Going over three miles within the Bowl Chase is the plain factor now.’
De Boinville mentioned: ‘It by no means went proper from when the tape went up. Even after we have been firstly, he was simply curling up on me a bit and going again on his haunches. Over the primary two fences, he simply wasn’t taking me wherever.
‘When he received final month’s Ascot Chase, I used to be capable of soar and journey and dictate the place I needed to be. This time I used to be pushed right here, there and all over the place.’