Henderson has plenty to consider, as big guns oblige at Aintree

April 13, 2023/in Horseracing News/by DaveM

Nicky Henderson’s two stable stars both won their sixth Grade Ones at Aintree on Thursday. But it is fair to say in rather different circumstances.

While Constitution Hill’s cruise to victory in the William Hill Aintree Hurdle went according to plan, Shishkin’s game success in the Alder Hey Aintree Bowl was – like his season as a whole – far from straightforward.

Nevertheless, it will have been a relief to the master of Seven Barrows that Shishkin is ending his campaign on a winning note given how it started in the Tingle Creek, and if anything he looked as if the Gold Cup distance will be well within his compass.

As for Constitution Hill, what is there left to say? The result was never in doubt, we already know there is not another hurdler in training capable of getting him off the bridle. How he is campaigned next term at least gives us something to dream about.

There are plenty who would love to see Henderson and owner Michael Buckley give him the chance to emulate the great mare Dawn Run, the only horse who has won the Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup. However, they would surely be passing up the chance to win multiple Champion Hurdles, and who can blame them if they are tempted by that?

“You can do anything you like with him, people questioned whether he would stay two and a half miles, he’ll stay any miles you like and you can go to the front or you can go to the back,” said Henderson.

“Nobody else was going to go on today so what was the point messing about, he may as well just get on with it.

“He jumps so beautifully, doesn’t he. I think that was probably the easiest race to watch with him, he was always going well and when you are travelling like that, in a slightly slower gear over two and a half, it makes it even easier for him.

“He’s deadly accurate and so natural. We’ll probably school him before we put him to bed (for the summer), just so we know what we are talking about. But I honestly don’t know right now what we’ll do.”

As for Shishkin, he has gone from being the perfect pupil to something of an enigma – albeit still very much a top-class one.

Having won 10 races in a row it all went wrong in last year’s Champion Chase and he was well beaten in the Tingle Creek on his return.

Shishkin and jockey Nico de Boinville (Mike Egerton/PA)

He had a wind operation, was stepped up in trip and looked as good as ever when winning at Ascot before he jumped deplorably in the Ryanair at Cheltenham before staying on into second.

Upped even further to three miles, he wore down Ahoy Senor and now the King George – and maybe even the Gold Cup – is on his agenda.

“He was so much better today than at Cheltenham. He does finish very well, he’s tough and he stays, but he is getting quite lazy in his races,” said Henderson.

“He’s won that by staying – his first race over three miles – so the trainer has got it wrong for the last two years, we know that!

“We admitted that after the Tingle Creek, he won a Grade One over two-mile-five at Ascot, we thought we were right staying at that trip in the Ryanair but to be honest he wouldn’t have won over any trip.

“Three miles is where we’ll stay, we won’t be coming back. I know the Gold Cup is not much further than this, but it is a different track. The obvious place is the King George, then take it from there. Whether you go Betfair and then King George, you are fairly limited in your options but the King George is the obvious target. He won’t go to Punchestown now.

“He used to be very straightforward but, like everybody, he gets a bit creaky.

Super Shishkin shines on step up to three miles

April 13, 2023/in Horseracing News/by DaveM

The King George VI Chase and the Cheltenham Gold Cup could be among Shishkin’s targets next season after the top-class chaser kicked in the turbo to secure the Alder Hey Aintree Bowl.

Nicky Henderson’s charge earned superstar status by winning his first 10 completed starts over obstacles, a run which included successive victories at the Cheltenham Festival and three Grade Ones.

The wheels came off in last season’s Champion Chase, with Henderson putting his abject performance on desperate ground down to a rare bone condition, while a fairly uninspiring start to the current campaign in the Tingle Creek at Sandown suggested his best days may be behind him.

🔥 Sizzling from Shishkin

A gritty performance from Shishkin who relishes the step up in trip to down Ahoy Senor in the Alder Hey Aintree Bowl Chase for @NdeBoinville & @sevenbarrows pic.twitter.com/AaGZdhH2TH

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 13, 2023

Not for the first time, however, Henderson weaved his magic, getting Shishkin back to something like his best when stepped up in trip for February’s Ascot Chase, after which he did remarkably well to finish second in last month’s Ryanair after a performance lacking much zest.

The Seven Barrows handler felt the time had come for his former star two-miler over three miles and he was the 7-4 favourite to successfully graduate to the staying trip on Merseyside.

Once again it was not entirely plain sailing, with Nico de Boinville having to get lower in the saddle on a couple of occasions while Ahoy Senor attempted to make all under Brian Hughes.

Nico de Boinville celebrates Shishkin's Aintree success — Nico de Boinville celebrates Shishkin’s Aintree success (Mike Egerton/PA)

The latter looked likely to prevail after drawing clear between the final two fences, but as has been the case on a few occasions over the years, Shishkin saved his best for late in the day, thrusting home on the run-in to get up and beat Ahoy Senor by a length and a half.

Henderson said: “He’s a very good horse and that was a very good race, fair play to Ahoy Senor, he was going well in the Gold Cup when he came down. It was a genuine Grade One race. We were almost here to find out who was second best – without Bravemansgame we haven’t really solved that.

“He was so much better today than at Cheltenham. He does finish very well, he’s tough and he stays but he is getting quite lazy in his races.

“He’s won that by staying – his first race over three miles – so the trainer has got it wrong for the last two years, we know that!

“We admitted that after the Tingle Creek, he won a Grade One over two-mile-five at Ascot, we thought we were right staying at that trip in the Ryanair but to be honest he wouldn’t have won over any trip.

“There were a few issues, he was very sore all over and we’ve had lots of people working on him. We took the tongue tie off as he didn’t like that. We’ve got to tweak things and that’s our job. I think it’s body not mind.”

Henderson will now stick at three miles with Shishkin, with the King George VI Chase at Kempton an “obvious” target next term.

He added: “Three miles is where we’ll stay, we won’t be coming back. I know the Gold Cup is not much further than this but it is a different track. The obvious place is the King George, then take it from there. Whether you go Betfair and then King George, you are fairly limited in your options but the King George is the obvious target. He won’t go to Punchestown now.

“He used to be very straightforward but like everybody, he gets a bit creaky. We had the four weeks and it’s all worked.

“When you are racing over three miles you want them racing lazily, you don’t want them to be keen when you up them in trip. You’d rather see him wake up a little bit more, we’ll see, I might have a few more tricks yet.”

Ahoy Senor (red) was just denied by Shishkin (Mike Egerton/PA)

Lucinda Russell was more than satisfied with Ahoy Senor’s effort in defeat.

She said: “I’m exceedingly proud of him and let’s face it, Shishkin is a fabulous horse who keeps galloping.

“It must have been hard for Brian (Hughes) who had never ridden him before, but he thought he had them at the last.

“I think he got tired eight strides before the last, he made that mistake and he was slightly on the back foot.”

A Plus Tard was the only other finisher in the five-runner heat, with Conflated and Ga Law both pulled up.

Henry de Bromhead was upbeat after A Plus Tard's third place — Henry de Bromhead was upbeat after A Plus Tard’s third place (Tim Goode/PA)

Despite being beaten a total of 17 and a half lengths, Henry de Bromhead was pleased to see A Plus Tard finish his first race this year, having been pulled up in both the Betfair Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup on his only two starts.

He said: “Obviously he didn’t finish off the race as well as we would have liked but there were still positives.

“It was effectively his first run of the year, and Rachael (Blackmore) said he jumped and travelled well but got tired.

“She was happy with him until then and he’s heading back in the right direction.

“We are happier than we were and that will be it because he’s so much better going left-handed, and we won’t look towards Punchestown.”

Aintree redemption in A Plus Tard’s sights

April 12, 2023/in Horseracing News/by DaveM

Cheveley Park Stud director Richard Thompson is cautiously optimistic A Plus Tard will show his true colours in the Alder Hey Aintree Bowl on Thursday.

Henry de Bromhead’s charge looked set to become the dominant force in the division following an imperious 15-length victory in last year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, but little has gone right since.

The nine-year-old returned unsatisfactory blood test results following a disappointing defence of the Betfair Chase at Haydock in November, while a late setback denied him the opportunity to bounce back in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas.

Connections ultimately decided to head straight back to Cheltenham, where after travelling well for a long way, he was badly hampered by the fall of Ahoy Senor and the brought-down Sounds Russian, which ultimately led to him being pulled up by Rachael Blackmore.

Having failed to complete a race since his Gold Cup romp 13 months ago, A Plus Tard clearly has questions to answer ahead of his first appearance at Aintree, but hopes are high in the Cheveley Park camp that he can get his career back on track.

A Plus Tard winning the 2022 Cheltenham Gold Cup (David Davies/PA)

Thompson said: “It’s been a difficult season for him, as we all know.

“He was travelling well in the Gold Cup until he got hampered. Would he have troubled the first two, who knows, but he was travelling well.

“I think we’re just hoping that he can travel like that again and show the class that he’s got. We want to see a good, positive showing and signs that he is back to himself.

“I’m not going to say he’s going to win it because it’s a very a hot race, but it’s great to be involved and we look forward to taking our chance.

“He’s won four Grade Ones for us and is a double winner at Cheltenham. He’s won a Gold Cup and a Betfair Chase in imperious fashion – he’s been a great horse for us whatever happens.”

A Plus Tard over the last at Cheltenham last season (Mike Egerton/PA)

The Lucinda Russell-trained Ahoy Senor won the Cotswold Chase over course and distance before his Gold Cup fall and he returns to a track he knows well.

Winner of the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at massive odds of 66-1 in 2021 before landing the Mildmay Novices’ Chase by five lengths last term, Russell believes Ahoy Senor is primed for another bold showing.

“He’s in great form, I’m looking forward to the good ground with him,” Russell said.

Ahoy Senor winning over hurdles at Aintree (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

“This looks a tough race, tougher even than the Gold Cup I think, but he’s in good form and we travel with hope.

“It’s been quite handy to have that extra time between the two meetings, he’s been thriving.

“He always seems to go well at this time of year, he’s quite a spring-time horse.”

Nico de Boinville will reunite with Shishkin after the duo finished second to Envoi Allen in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.

Shishkin and Nico de Boinville at Ascot (Steven Paston/PA)

Nicky Henderson’s charge was the evens favourite for the event and eventually came home two and three-quarter lengths behind the winner.

“I think we were a bit deflated after Cheltenham, although he did stay on really well up the hill,” de Boinville told Sky Sports Racing.

“We’ve tried to work a few things out and he seems to be in really good order at home – he’s been working well and schooling well.

“He was just never happy from the word go (at Cheltenham). He was never really happy and never really jumping and made hard work of it.

“I don’t think you can really question his temperament given the way he seemed to battle on up the hill and everything has been right since then.

Shishkin and Henderson (Steven Paston/PA)

“I’m staying nice and positive and when he’s on-song, he’ll be very hard to beat.

“All the ability is there, it’s just a case of bringing it all together.”

Gordon Elliott’s Gold cup third Conflated takes his chance while Jamie Snowden’s Ga Law, who did not meet the criteria for a planned Grand National bid, completes a field of five after Bravemansgame was withdrawn from the race by the British Horseracing Authority.

Senor ‘thriving’ ahead of Aintree Bowl task

April 12, 2023/in Horseracing News/by DaveM

Lucinda Russell may have the Randox Grand National favourite but there could be earlier celebrations if Ahoy Senor shines in the Alder Hey Aintree Bowl Chase.

The eight-year-old fell at the 17th fence in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but prior to that won the Cotswold Chase over course and distance in January.

He has shone at Aintree before, winning the Sefton Novices’ Hurdle at massive odds of 66-1 in 2021 and taking the Mildmay Novices’ Chase by five lengths at the meeting the following season.

Though the Festival did not go to plan, the racing calendar has fallen in such a way this term that there is an extra week between two big spring meetings – a boon for horses running in both.

“He’s in great form, I’m looking forward to the good ground with him,” Russell said.

“This looks a tough race, tougher even than the Gold Cup I think, but he’s in good form and we travel with hope.

“It’s been quite handy to have that extra time between the two meetings, he’s been thriving.

“He always seems to go well at this time of year, he’s quite a spring-time horse.”

Paul Nicholls’ Bravemansgame was the runner-up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup when last seen, finishing seven lengths behind Willie Mullins’ Galopin Des Champs.

The third-placed horse was a further six and a half lengths behind him and Nicholls was delighted with his performance under Harry Cobden.

Bravemansgame (right) in the Cheltenham Gold Cup (Tim Goode/PA)

“Bravemansgame ran the race of his life in finishing second in the Gold Cup. It was a hell of a race, as good a Gold Cup as you will see with an end-to-end gallop,” Nicholls told his Betfair blog.

“He was pinpoint accurate at his fences and was the only one to make a race of it with the winner Galopin Des Champs.

“Bravemansgame looks tremendous, has been working really well and there is no sign of his having a hard race at the Festival.

“I’m expecting another big run from him and would argue that if he is not at his best now, I doubt he will be if we wait for Punchestown in two weeks’ time.”