'If he was mine he would be going for the Gold Cup' - Tom Segal's weekend reflections

Bill Clinton was in big trouble after a dalliance with Monica Lewinsky, France won the World Cup after Brazilian superstar Ronaldo went awol before and during the final and Istabraq landed the first of his three Champion Hurdles.

That is just a taste of what was going on in 1998 and it was also the last time a horse with two digits in his age won the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Cool Dawn might not be the best winner of the race but he did something no other horse in 25 years has managed since.

I'm bringing this up because Shishkin is aged nine and his best chance of winning a Gold Cup is surely going to be this March, not in 2024. Nicky Henderson seemed to rule it out after he was back to his brilliant best at Ascot on Saturday, but he doesn't own the horse and if history and prestige mean anything in horse racing these days, owners the Donnellys will surely be giving the Gold Cup serious consideration.