Will Shishkin be mighty once more or does the trapdoor creak for his backers?

This jumps season has been a bit of a slow-burn, I think we can all agree, unless you're attached to the Skelton stable. The parched state of our tracks this autumn had something to do with it. Has there been a bit of ducking and diving as well? Opinion appears to be divided.

Anyway, this could be the day when we finally get some fireworks because few things are more thrilling than a really good Tingle Creek and it looks like we're going to get one, despite having had our expectations damped down early in the week. Evidently, we're obliged to spend every Monday to Friday worrying about whether star horses will actually leave their stables on Saturday and we've been through it again with today's market leaders, but the traffic lights are all green at the time of writing.

If you're en route to Esher, lucky you, because a top-class two-mile chase round Sandown is as exciting as jump racing gets. The race is short and snappy but long enough for them to pass you twice.