Shishkin will face five rivals as he makes his eagerly-awaited step up in trip and is second in Coral’s Ascot Chase betting odds at 9/4 for Saturday’s big race,

Since pulling up when sent off favourite for last year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase, Nicky Henderson’s two-time Cheltenham Festival winner has only been seen once, when a well-beaten third in the Tingle Creek before Christmas.
That Sandown disappointment signalled a move up in distance and the son of Sholokhov now gets to test the waters over further, where his chief danger appears to be Joseph O’Brien’s defending champion Fakir D’Oudairies, who is the 6/4 favourite.
A good showing at the weekend could pave the way for a tilt at the Ryanair Chase at Prestbury Park in a month’s time – a race that now has an open feel with Allaho ruled out of his hat-trick bid due to injury.
Coral’s David Stevens said: “Fakir D’Oudairies has been clear favourite for successive wins in the Ascot Chase since we opened betting, and while he’s very much proven over this distance, Shishkin has it all to prove at this longer trip, and has been largely friendless in the market this week.”
Although Henderson admits he should have entered Shishkin in the Champion Chase in case this exploratory move ends in disappointment, he is certain the 11-time winner is in need of a longer trip to showcase his best.
“He probably should have been in it (Champion Chase), but I was impressed with Gary Moore’s horse (in the Clarence House) to be fair and Edwardstone looked like he would come on for his race,” said Henderson.
“It does look more open this year but Shishkin has been racing like a horse who wants further to me and I hope I’m right.”
Shishkin returns to the scene of one of his finest hours at Ascot – a place where he won an all-time classic against Energumene in the 2021 Clarence House Chase.
🏆 Shishkin wins the SBK Clarence House Chase in an electric race!
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📱 https://t.co/FI4VjrJa48#ITVRacing pic.twitter.com/dd7PfJOvm5— ITV Racing (@itvracing) January 22, 2022
It was Shishkin’s stamina that helped him see off Willie Mullins’ Champion Chase hero and Henderson believes the writing was on the wall from that day regarding his charge requiring further.
He continued: “It was a tough race and you don’t really like to see horses racing off the bridle for so long the whole time.
“That’s what he’s had to do the last two times. I want to see him going round on the bridle and he’s got to be better for it.”
Champion trainer Paul Nicholls fields Pic D’Orhy, who has won each of his three starts this term, including Grade Twos at Huntingdon and Kempton.
Nicholls said of the gelding: “The big difference with him is he’s a big horse and he’s just matured at last. He’s twice the horse he was last season as a model, he’s well and strong and he keeps improving.
“He wasn’t really jumping that well, the first season he had a couple of falls so he was a novice for a second season.
“Last year at Newbury in the Ladbrokes meeting, he was going to absolutely bolt in in the Grade Two novice chase and he took a fairly heavy fall at the first in the straight.
Pic D'Orhy absolutely coasts home in the Coral Silviniaco Conti Chase under @CobdenHarry. 🏆 🐎#ITVRacing | @kemptonparkrace |@PFNicholls pic.twitter.com/SpmKflocKm
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) January 14, 2023
“I think that shook him a bit and woke him up, he’s been very careful and good after that.
“This season his jumping has been fantastic, he’s a Betfair Hurdle winner so he’s always had plenty of ability.
“He’s a little bit like Bravemansgame, massive horses that just take all this time to reach full maturity. He’s probably the finished article now and hopefully he can keep improving.”
First Flow, winner of the race in 2021, represents Kim Bailey with Aye Right for Harriet Graham and Gary Rutherford, plus Alex Hales’ Millers Bank completing the line-up.
Donald McCain’s Minella Drama was the only horse not declared.
6/4 Fakir D’oudairies
11/4 Shishkin
5/2 Pic D’Orhy
8/1 Millers Bank
22/1 First Flow
40/1 Aye Right
All odds and market correct at date of publication