Shishkin and Energumene Face-Off in a Rare Heavyweight Ascot Clash
Rarely do two titans of jump racing face-off outside of the Cheltenham Festival. However, Saturday’s SBK Clarence House Chase at Ascot sees a pair of huge reputations go on the line in a classic Britain versus Ireland confrontation.
Jockey Nico de Boinville celebrates after partnering Shishkin to victory in the 2021 Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival. ©GettyImages
The home favorite is Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin. Unbeaten in all six chase starts and successful in 10 of his 11 lifetime outings – a fall causing his only defeat – the eight-year-old won the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the 2020 Cheltenham Festival.
Switched to chasing, he landed the Arkle Novices’ Chase at the 2021 Festival and won the Desert Orchid Chase on his seasonal reappearance at Kempton.
Pound-For-Pound, Toe-To-Toe, Furlong After Furlong
His rival, Energumene, is also unbeaten in all chase starts and is on a sequence of seven easy victories. The Willie Mullins-trained horse is yet to race outside of Ireland, but he won last season’s Ryanair Novice Chase at the Punchestown Festival in a hack-canter.
Confirming his ability was intact, Energumene won a Grade-2 Cork contest in early December. Resultantly, the latest expert and handicap ratings suggest there is very little – perhaps just one pound – between this pair on ability. Punters and bookmakers see it differently and it is Shishkin that is favored.
Such is the excitement of two future champions meeting head-on, it is easy to overlook a third contender, the wonderfully talented First Flow. Trained by veteran handler Kim Bailey, the 10-year-old went on a six-race winning streak last season. It culminated with victory in this very race.
Naturally, race fans love a superstar. Looking through the list of previous SBK Clarence House Chase winners – a roll of honor that includes the nationally adored Desert Orchid, Master Minded, Un De Sceaux, Viking Flagship and Altior – they may just see one in action on Saturday.
Jonbon to Further Advertise Supreme Credentials?
Saturday could be a memorable day for Nicky Henderson. The trainer has several fancied runners around the country. They include the JP McManus-owned Jonbon who will be making his third appearance over hurdles at Haydock.
Faultless in his short career to date, the ￡570,000 purchase is currently the second favorite for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
At 5/2 Jonbon’s stablemate, Constitution Hill heads the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle betting. Last weekend a third strong contender emerged when Dysart Dynamo trounced six rivals at Punchestown.
The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle is the traditional opening race of the Cheltenham Festival. In 2022 the contest is shaping up to be a classic. Let us not forget, Shishkin took the race two years ago.
Oscar’s Connections Deserve an Award
Nicky Henderson has had his fair share of memorable days. But for hobbyist trainer Ann Hamilton, success in Haydock’s Grade-2 The New One Unibet Hurdle with Tommy’s Oscar would be a career highlight.
The pensioner, based in Northumberland, only trains a handful of horses and she has placed the seven-year Tommy’s Oscar brilliantly to win seven of his 12 starts on British shores.
Impressively, the former Irish point-to-pointer has improved markedly in winning his last three outings. On official handicap ratings, the owner-trained Tommy’s Oscar now has at least 11-pound in-hand of Saturday’s rivals.
Understandably, as an odds-on favorite with the best sports betting sites, he would be a popular winner for both favorite backers and those who like a fairytale ending for the underdogs.
