Supreme favourite Shishkin puts festival credentials on the line at Huntingdon

Shishkin, ante-post favourite for the Sky Bet Supreme Novices' Hurdle, will put his Cheltenham Festival credentials on the line in the Betway Sidney Banks Memorial Novices' Hurdle (2.31) at Huntingdon on Thursday.

The Nicky Henderson-trained six-year-old is a general 4-1 market leader for the Grade 1 at Cheltenham on March 10 despite getting his season off to an inauspicious start when falling at Newbury in December.

He made amends in spectacular fashion on his return to the same track last month and is now the leading British challenger against a number of talented novice hurdlers from Ireland, including the Gordon Elliott-trained Abacadabras, who is vying for favouritism with some bookmakers.

Shishkin powered through the testing ground under Nico de Boinville and showed a smart turn of foot after the final flight at Newbury, earning him a host of admirers, including former jockey Ruby Walsh.

He will face a different kind of test against four rivals at Huntingdon in what is likely to be his final preparation for the festival, where he also holds an entry in the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle.

"He's worked really well and is ready to go," said Henderson, who last won the Supreme with Altior in 2016. "The ground has dried out a bit, which is helpful, and he's in very good form."

When asked about Shishkin's chances in the Supreme, Henderson added: "He's a lovely horse and our focus is getting through this race."

The old adage suggests trainers should never be afraid of taking on one horse and Jamie Snowden was among those to answer the call with Pacify, who has hardly put a foot wrong over hurdles.

After a busy spell on the Flat with Ralph Beckett, the eight-year-old joined his new yard in the summer and immediately took to his new discipline, winning five races in a row between June and October.

He finished second in the Grade 2 Supreme Trial at Cheltenham under a penalty on his most recent start in November and Snowden is hopeful the step up in trip to 2m3½f will bring about improvement.

"He was a very good Flat horse up to a mile and six furlongs," said Snowden. "We set about giving him a few confidence-boosting runs through the summer and autumn and he impressed us by winning five in a row, including a Listed race.

"He ran really well to finish second giving weight away at Cheltenham and carries another penalty at Huntingdon. The new trip should suit and he'll hopefully head for the Ballymore."

Pacify finished behind Hang In There at Cheltenham and the Emma Lavelle-trained six-year-old will bid to bounce back after finishing a distant fifth to Fiddlerontheroof at Sandown last time.

The field is completed by Shan Blue, who finished third in a Warwick Grade 2 last time, and the Richard Rowe-trained Up The Straight.

Shishkin is expected to go off a short-priced favourite on Thursday and, while some bookmakers will offer a winning-distance market on the race, few believe it is a foregone conclusion.

"Although Shishkin will be odds-on, he's facing some decent opposition, so it looks far from being a walkover," said Coral spokesman David Stevens.

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