Sky Sports Racing expert Mike Cattermole gives us his views on every runner as well as his big-race verdict on Saturday’s Clarence House Chase at Ascot.
It may be a small field but what a field, featuring two young chasers, both eight, from both sides of the Irish Sea who bring perfect unbeaten chase records to the table.
There is something spine-tingling about brilliant two-mile chasers and because both Shishkin and Energumene are unbeaten, we are not really sure exactly how good they both are.
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Energumen, is a relentless galloper who grinds his rivals into submission. Shishkin is more of a stalker with a tremendous and, so far, irresistible turn of foot.
At least one of them is going to lose that 100 per cent record on Saturday, perhaps both, as there are some who dare you to overlook the chances of First Flow who is, after all, the defending champion.
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The last big head-to-head of two chasing superstars, also at Ascot, saw Altior lose out to Cyrname. Both horses might have left something out there that day but the hope this time is that this may just be the start of a lifelong rivalry.
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AMOOLA GOLD – Jockey: Harry Skelton, Trainer: Dan Skelton
A smart chaser but the lowest-rated of all five of these, with upwards of 11lb to find with the others. That said, he has a fine Ascot record with two wins and two seconds from four appearances over fences here over the past 15 months.
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Usually dropped out and tends to finish his races strongly, as demonstrated when getting up to deny Monsieur Le Coq in October.
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Nico de Boinville has said Shishkin just wasn’t firing on all cylinders earlier this season but is back to his best now ahead of the Clarence House Chase
He then just failed to catch Before Midnight in the Hurst Park Handicap Chase the following month – when fitted with cheekpieces for the first time, surprisingly left off now – the second occasion he has been beaten narrowly in that contest, after going down by a neck to First Flow (gave 10lb) in the 2020 renewal.
Below his best at Cheltenham (not for the first time) last time out but clearly has it all to do, even at a track that plays to his strengths.
ENERGUMENE – Paul Townend, Willie Mullins
There are various translations of ‘Energumene’ into English but the one that might be the perfect fit for Willie Mullins’s crack chaser is ‘kind of freak’.
He clearly has tons of talent, but what is it that makes him so good? He just goes out there, takes up the running and grinds his rivals into submission.
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Sky Sports Racing pundit Kevin Blake asks whether Ascot could play to the strengths of Energumene when he takes on Shishkin in this weekend’s Clarence House Chase
It all seems so effortless and, even if his jumping isn’t that spectacular, it is effective and he has never looked like falling.
He was due to meet Shishkin in last year’s Arkle at Cheltenham but suffered an ill-timed setback and so ended his season at Punchestown in the Ryanair Novice Chase with a sensational 16-length drubbing of his stablemate Janidil who is no mug and indeed a very smart performer, now rated 164!
FIRST FLOW – David Bass, Kim Bailey
The defending champion who probably put up a career-best in this 12 months ago with a seven-length pounding of Politologue on his favoured soft ground.
His performances afterwards at Cheltenham in the Champion Chase and Punchestown’s equivalent were disappointing when his jumping was indifferent.
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It was a similar story on his reappearance in the Peterborough Chase at Huntingdon when he stepped up to two and a half miles.
His course record here is two wins and two places from four starts but he is inevitably going to make mistakes again and, although he has never fallen in his life, the two young superstars will show no mercy.
SHISHKIN – Nico de Boinville, Nicky Henderson
A faller on his hurdling debut in December, 2019, he has not put a foot wrong since, winning all nine and taking his chasing tally to six out of six.
He missed the Tingle Creek, as his trainer wasn’t entirely happy with him, so came back at Kempton over Christmas and brushed aside the Sandown hero Greaneteen by a comfortable ten lengths.
Image: Shishkin and Nico de Boinville find their rhythm in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton
That being his first start for almost nine months means that, like Energumene, he should be at concert pitch now.
On style, Shishkin would be a more efficient, quicker and overall more spectacular jumper than his Irish rival and that may count for a lot here.
On balance, he has a sprinkling of stardust about him which his Irish rival arguably lacks and looks the heir apparent to Sprinter Sacre and Altior.
MIKE CATTERMOLE’S VERDICT
With respect to the other two, this is all about two brilliant, unbeaten chasers of the same vintage with massive reputations and just reaching the height of their powers.
It’s Britain v Ireland, Henderson v Mullins in a clash for the ages. Oddly, the British horse is Irish-owned by the Donnellys, while the Irish horse is owned by a Brit, in Brighton & Hove Albion chairman, Tony Bloom.
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There are form lines, involving Hitman and Captain Guinness that suggest there is precious little between the two superstars, with the official handicapper having Shishkin at 172 and Energumene on 171.
The tactics make for an added dimension. Energumene will no doubt apply the pressure from the moment the tapes go up with SHISHKIN sitting in behind and being readied to pounce up the home straight. He is taken to do it, with First Flow holding off Amoola Gold behind them.
Sourse: skysports.com
