Is Shishkin the UK Cheltenham Festival Banker?    

"Quevega’s mares’ hurdle" (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Carine06

Shishkin has shown us all that he is a high-quality horse that can mix it with the very best. An impressive win in the Arkle Chase last year was brilliant to see, and since then, he’s got the better of Energumene at Ascot, in a matchup dubbed the clash of the best two mile chasers we currently have in training.

With all of that behind him, is Shishkin the best hope for UK racing at the meeting? In terms of betting odds, that is certainly the case, he is the shortest price UK festival runner. The latest betting on the 2022 Cheltenham festival has him priced up at 4/6 to win the Champion Chase which puts him ahead of Energumene, who he recently got the better of.

Many have fancied Shishkin for some time and have been blown away by his performances in the past. However, since that victory at Ascot, he is now featuring in more Cheltenham Festival betting tips and is being talked about by everyone.

Does that make him a worthy banker for the festival?

Can Shishkin Dominate the Two Mile Chasing Division?

We have been waiting for some time to see a UK runner completely dominate a division and we could be on the verge of seeing that happen with Shishkin.

When Shishkin won the Arkle in 2021, he impressed us all, but there were a few questions surrounding how strong the field was against him. This was mainly because Energumene didn’t make the race and, combined with a small field on the day, that left Shishkin as a very short-priced favourite.

However, you can only beat what is in front of you and, for that reason, many people expected very big things from him this time around. Chacun Pour Soi, the Willie Mullins trained runner, has failed to jump into the limelight this season, and Energumene was beaten by Shishkin in his biggest challenge.

Not only are we seeing Shishkin shine, but one by one, the challengers to his throne appear to be falling away. Another horse, Nube Negra, won nicely at Cheltenham in the Shloer Chase on his seasonal reappearance, but then backed that up with a very disappointing run in the Tingle Creek.

Many contenders have done that, and in terms of consistency at the top level, this could be what sets Shishkin apart from the rest of the field, and why he is heading into the Cheltenham Festival as one of the big bankers.

Given that lack of consistency and the fact that Shishkin got the better of his biggest rival at Ascot in their recent meeting, it is easy to see why Shishkin is seen by many as a horse that can really dominate the two mile division.