OpinionChris Cook
premium
Is Shishkin really the best we can do?! How the Gold Cup betting paints a damning picture of British racing
Chris CookRacing Writer of the Year
Shishkin is reckoned to be Britain's best chance in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, despite what has been a frustrating season so farCredit: Alan Crowhurst
"British hopes are led by Shishkin." Six little words that say so much, taken from the end of the Racing Post's report on this week's Cheltenham Gold Cup entries.
That puts everything in perspective, doesn't it? The home team for our most prestigious jumps race is currently headed by a horse whose form figures for this season consist of the letters 'RU'.
It sounds like the start of a question, possibly: "Are you going to behave yourself for an entire race at some point this season? Are you hell-bent on finding new ways to avoid winning?"
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Copy
more inChris Cook
- An extra 60 seconds to run the Derby - surely premierisation should have done better than that?
- It's a sad day for racing when a big-name horse bypasses the Derby and the audience just accepts it
- Imagine a horseracing version of The Traitors - or is that just the world we already live in?
- Why my relationship with jump racing now reminds me of Wile E Coyote and the Road Runner
- Strength of your views on affordability is hidden away under Gambling Commission's diplomatic verbiage
more inChris Cook
- An extra 60 seconds to run the Derby - surely premierisation should have done better than that?
- It's a sad day for racing when a big-name horse bypasses the Derby and the audience just accepts it
- Imagine a horseracing version of The Traitors - or is that just the world we already live in?
- Why my relationship with jump racing now reminds me of Wile E Coyote and the Road Runner
- Strength of your views on affordability is hidden away under Gambling Commission's diplomatic verbiage