Cheltenham Festival: Giant Shishkin NOT a banker warns Nicky Henderson as he accuses Willie Mullins of ‘playing games’

DEATH, taxes and Shishkin?

Many consider him a rare, British-trained certainty at the Cheltenham Festival - but Nicky Henderson is much more cautious.

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The eight-year-old is the hot 4-6 favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase with the sponsors Betway.

He is unbeaten in each of his 11 completed starts over jumps and he already has a pair of Festival victories to his name.

But he was given a major fright by big rival Energumene in the Clarence House at Ascot last month.

Willie Mullins’ runner looked to have him in serious trouble turning for home, only for Shishkin to run him down inside the final 100 yards.

Energumene, 11-4 for the Queen Mother, is yet to race at Cheltenham, and on paper the stiff nature of the track looks as though it will benefit Shishkin in the rematch.

But six-time champion trainer Henderson expects another tight battle in 22 days’ time.

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He joked: "Britain needs bankers - sadly most of them are in the city!

"We were thumped by the Irish last year as everyone is well aware - there is no way Shishkin is a banker.

"There wasn’t much in it at all between him and Energumene at Ascot, they were only a length apart at the line.

"It was a fantastic race, everyone loved it, bar Willie and myself. We knew one of us was going to go down and it was great we came out in front.

"The rematch is very intriguing and the good thing about the Ascot race was that it didn’t spoil the Champion Chase.

"If one of them had won by 10 lengths, it would have made round two a little bit of a damp squib.

"He seems in very good form so it doesn’t appear that the race has left a mark.

"I would expect the same sort of tactics from both sides and there will be a good pace on whatever happens.

"Willie is going to chuck Chacun Pour Soi in the mix too. I know they say he doesn’t travel, but we certainly aren’t underestimating him.

"It should be a brilliant race."

Henderson knows what it takes to bag a Champion Chase, having won the prestigious race six times.

Altior and Sprinter Sacre have flown the flag for Seven Barrows in the big Grade 1 in recent years, but Henderson reckons Shishkin is a different type of beast.

He said: "He has a different style of racing to Altior and Sprinter Sacre, he doesn’t have the same sort of exuberance, he is very quick and efficient.

"In their era they probably were bankers, there wasn’t the same level of competition around at the time, but this horse has a big fight on his hands.

"Turning in at Ascot the other day you thought we were in trouble, but then his stamina kicked in. His finishing kick is definitely his strength.

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"You'd like to think the hill will play to his strengths. Willie says he doesn't know how he'll beat us, but I think he's playing games there.

"I think he's looking forward to having another crack and I don't think he's that frightened."

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