STAR-IN-THE-MAKING Shishkin wowed racing fans with a stunning chasing debut at Kempton.
The Nicky Henderson-trained six-year-old produced several flying leaps on his way to a 23-length rout on Monday.
The horse, who was an impressive winner of the Supreme Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham in March, was sent off an eye-wateringly short 1-6 favourite in a field of four.
In a race which Henderson used for Altior on his chasing debut four years ago, Shishkin made his intent clear from the outset with a huge jump over the first.
Having originally attempted to restrain him in second place, jockey Nico De Boinville allowed him to stride on into the lead approaching the third, where he was again foot-perfect.
He was still in second gear as he swung into the home straight, and a precise leap over the final fence sealed the deal, with Mick Pastor (11-2) a distant second.
Punters were blown away, with one tweeting: "Absolutely flawless start from Shishkin. He wins it all."
Another said: "That was frighteningly good."
The bookies were also impressed, with Betfair cutting him into 7-4 from 5-2 for the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival – and Henderson confirmed that race was his long term goal.
He said: "He is an out and out two-miler. I would be absolutely shocked if Nico came running out of the weighing room telling me he wants an extra half mile!
"I thought he was 10 out of 10 and he proved he could do it both ways.
"When he wants to be flamboyant he showed he has loads of scope and he was being a bit of a show off at times, but there wasn't a stride going into the last and he worked out it quickly and was nimble on his feet.
"First time out over fences that is what you're looking for.
"We have had to do very little schooling with him, he is a natural and has been very good from day one. He has a lot of pace and a lot of quality, he is a lovely horse.
"We are probably going to follow the Altior route and come back here over Christmas for the Wayward Lad."
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org
Source: Read Full Article