Equinties - SHISHKIN

Gm Equinauts

The racing world mourns the loss of a true great today.

Let’s dive in.

HEADLINE ROUNDUP

RIP SHISHKIN

Late last night, the racing world was shocked by the news from Seven Barrows that SHISHKIN had passed away.

In a statement on X, Nicky Henderson said that the six-time Grade 1 winner was “cast in his stable” and had fractured his hind leg.

Losing horses is always sad because of the connections we build with the,, but horses like SHISHKIN are the reason some people come into the sport. Whether it was his miraculous win the Supreme or watch his valiant win over ENERGUMENE at Ascot in the Clarence House Chase, his career would have captured the imagination of anyone who watched him. We all have those horses, no matter how old we are, who we will remember.

It’s truly devastating news to hear, especially as he was set to head off to Punchestown tomorrow. God only knows what Henderson, the owners, and the stable staff are feeling right now. A sad, sad way to cap off an already disastrous season for Nicky Henderson.

RIP, SHISHKIN.

MAGIC MULLINS DOES IT

Although he was long odds-on to win the championship in the days leading up to Sandown’s Jumps Finale Day, Willie Mullins was officially crowned champion of the UK after EL FABIOLO finished second in the Grade 1 Celebration Chase.

However, he couldn’t leave Sandown without taking at least one race back home to Ireland with him, so victories for MINELLA COCOONER and IMPAIRE ET PASSE in the Bet365 Gold Cup and Grade 2 Select Hurdle respectively capped off a good day.

How did the main man plan to celebrate his first British title? Well, he did exactly what anyone else would do…

Looking at his season in general, it’s quite remarkable what he has achieved with such few victories over in the UK. With 28 successes from 160 runners, he won the English and Scottish Grand National, Champion Hurdle, Gold Cup, Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle, Arkle Novices’ Chase, Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase, Top Novices’ Hurdle, Sefton Novices’ Hurdle, Manifesto Novices’ Chase, and his two big-race wins at Sandown on Saturday.

That’s some CV for one season, all of which helped him become the first Irish-based trainer since Vincent O’Brien to win the British trainers’ title.

But, he’s not done.

Due to his sheer drive for more and more success, the master of Closutton wants to emulate O’Brien by winning back-to-back championships and knowing Mullins’ philosophy, he will probably want to surpass him and win three on the bounce! But that’s all well in the future. This week, we should appreciate his expert work across the five-day Punchestown Festival, one that is set to be a cracker.

WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS

ZARAK notched up his second Group 1 winner when HAYA ZARK winner of the Prix Ganay yesterday.

CAMILLE PISARRO looks like he’s in the mix for a trip to Royal Ascot. He cost a cool 1.25 million Guineas at Tatts last year. The impressive looking WOOTTON BASSETT colt won going away at Navan, the same race RIVER TIBER won last year before winning the Coventry. NEW THEORY in second looked quite smart as well, by STARSPANGLEDBANNER she will win next time out.

Dermot Weld tends to be well positioned with Aga Khan Classic contenders. TAHIYRA last year and EZELIYA looks capable of getting into the Epsom Oaks or Irish Oaks. Winner of the Salsabil stakes Group 3 at Navan on Sunday. She is out of a TEOFILO mare EZIYRA who was placed in the Yorkshire Oaks and Hong Kong Vase. She descends from the family of Gold Cup winners ESTIMATE and ENZELI.

Arguably the performance of the day from Sandown came in the same Celebration Chase that saw Mullins mathematically become the champion, though it wasn’t his horse who wowed the onlooking crowd.

That’s right, JONBON extended his Sandown record to 4/4 as he made all under a superb Nico de Boinville to stamp a strong marker on the two-mile chasing division.

As for JONBON’s future, we all know about Willie Mullins bingo, but could Hendo started a little game of bingo himself? Perhaps not to the same degree, but the boss of Seven Barrows has hinted at two, two-and-a-half, and three miles for JONBON next season.

A fast run two miles is something he is very good at. Why change it if it’s not broken?

EYE-CATCHERS

CRYSTAL FLYER – FRIDAY 16.10 SANDOWN

Starting with Sandown’s action from Friday, CRYSTAL FLYER looks like a horse who has plenty of potential going forward.

The three-year-old filly is a MAGNA GRECIA half to ZOFFEE (the Chester Cup runner-up last year) and TEAM OF FIRSTS, two horses who were stayers on the Flat but also tried hurdles. The dam also won over 1m4f, but the influence of MAGNA GRECIA on her pedigree will be interesting to watch going forward.

Wherever she heads next, she showed plenty of promise on her first start of the season over 1m2f (the race was won by SIYOLA, a SIYOUNI out of the Group 1 winner TIMEPIECE, who was having her debut on the track) and travelled well into the race, but the action unfolded on the far rail and she was the fastest finisher from the middle of the track. She’s one to watch and may even appreciate 1m4f in time.

BE AWARE – SATURDAY 13.50 SANDOWN

The opener at Sandown on Saturday was a hot race and won by the useful HELNWEIN - who will be a smart chaser - but it’s the second, BE AWARE, that looked like a nice type to watch going forward.

He’s a full brother to LAC DE CONSTANCE, a horse the Skelton;s know very well, and has spots of form that make him interesting.

He won on debut when giving away weight to NAVAJO INDY, a horse the newsletter highlighted in January, and then tried to give nearly 20lbs in weight to YELLOW STAR (a horse who has form with KALIF DU BERLAIS and finished fourth to BE AWARE on Saturday) at Lingfield in February.

He was then second to the Grade 2 winner KAMSINAS at Kempton, so he is very interesting going forward and he should be a much better chaser. As for Saturday, he travelled from off the pace over two miles, so he will probably want a bit further in time. His debut was only in January, so he’s still relatively inexperienced.

RISK ON

A bad days racing with no stand out bets. Tools down unless a message comes through.

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