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What a fantastic race! And a great outcome as well, because we gonna see it again in two months!
Great!
Two absolute top quality horses. What a race.
One horse was a bit better than the other. An obvious but in this case pertinent point i think.
Didn’t bet but was on shishkins side. What’s race that was amazing. If they both get to Cheltenham for another duel no doubt be some race to
VF x
Seems like as good a thread as any to make my first post in a while!
Absolutely brilliant race, one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. Two giants of the game, the best of England vs the best of Ireland and after the demolition job by the Irish at Cheltenham we needed that so hats off to Nicky Henderson!
Saw a lot of bad things said about Henderson in the week building up to it on various social media but once again he’s proved what a brilliant trainer he is, especially with these two mile chasers! Also tip my hat to Willie for sending his horse over and having a crack at Shishkin….Energumene really surprised me today the way he jumped and travelled…..he’s an exceptional horse himself and much better than I thought!
It was just what racing needed….a heavyweight clash like that which delivered and got people talking.
Be interesting to see the sectionals, as I don’t think they went that quick early on but NDB was clearly delighted after and knowing the horses he’s sat on and ridden, for him to comment about the speed they were going tells it’s own story! Also, the fact there was 18 lengths back to First Flow who was entitled to run a good race at a course he’s gone really well at in the past and even Amoola Gold who likes ascot says it was a proper race too!
Roll on Cheltenham for the rematch, though I fear the outcome will be the same but a bit more comfortable…
I nearly got thrown out of my brother bday party shouting Shiskin home , if he was going to lose today would have been the day yet somehow he dug deep to come through , Enger jumped superbly throughout and def put Shiskin out of his comfort zone but im suprised more hasn’t been said about Nico,s ride , he gathered him up and didn’t panic even after the mistake , bring on Cheltenham , can’t wait for round 2
Says a lot that this titanic clash is only the 25th story down on the BBC Sport homepage this morning.
Nine football articles, five tennis ones, three from the Winter Olympics (including the same one twice), two from the NFL (okay, it’s the playoffs, but still…) and then dross like T20 cricket, rugby (a game for men with odd-shaped balls) and even the anachronistic barbarism of UFC are somehow all deemed more newsworthy. 🤷♂️
Can’t really blame the Beeb. Even the winning trainer was stupidly droning on and on about this clash being too early. Why should the media bother?
BUY THE SUN
Great race. I suspect shiskin took more out of himself than the runner up and I’ll certainly be sitting with energuame in March. I’m sure there be a stronger pace and I can see shiskin having too much to make up. Will be the race of the festival.
Mickey they’ve both got 6 weeks so plenty time to recover , I’m def in the Shiskin camp for chelt , Enger hasn’t been there for a start , yesterday was a rare occasion were the beaten horse actually gained from it and the champ chase looks like being a belter , it’s actually looking a really competitive festival with 3 or 4 clashes to saviour plus a wide open GC
Mullins and townend would have seen the little mistakes by shiskin and I’m sure there will be a stronger pace in March. Shiskin outstayed the runner up but if the quicker race leads to more mistakes then the result could be reversed. Plus we’ve no idea who will improve the most. Energuame improved greatly IMHO and if he does the same again will be hard to beat.
“Says a lot that this titanic clash is only the 25th story down on the BBC Sport homepage this morning.”
The BBC is actively hostile to horse racing. It will not do anything to show it in a positive light. It only wants to report bad stories about racing.
The problem with going off harder Mickey is that he leaves himself even more open to being outstayed at the end , that hill is only going to help Shiskin , also as I said Enger hasn’t been to Cheltenham yet
Shishkin has been awarded a provisional rating of 181p by Timeform after yesterday’s heroics, placing him one pound above Altior’s peak rating but still a long way short of Sprinter Sacre’s 192p.
Energumene has been raised to 180, putting him one pound above his inconsistent stablemate Chacun Pour Soi. Interestingly, Energumene does not have a “p” so Timeform are not of the opinion that there’s more to come from him.
Possibly Timeform know the next instalment will be at Cheltenham and therefore know over Energ'(ise) has not proven himself over the course, plus the stiffer track may test stamina more than he wants. Indeed, everything was in the Irish horse’s favour yesterday at Ascot; even getting a relatively soft lead. Possibility he’s better right-handed too. Although jumped “well” at left-handed Leopardstown four starts ago, did jump out to the right. Since then has had three runs all on right handed courses. Energumene may not be able to repeat Ascot form let alone improve on it, hence no “p”.
Shishkin jumps left, which should help (imporove) him at Cheltenham. A course where he’s proven and the probable increased test of stamina should suit. Yes, of the pair he isn’t “as good” a jumper, but on the balance of his jumping can still be considered a “good jumper” himself. So less of a chance he’d fall at Cheltenham than you might expect from yesterday’s performance. Shishkin’s way of racing all points to him doing better at Cheltenham, hence the “p”.
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