Clash between Energumene and Shishkin at Ascot still a runner

Sceptics may be reluctant to believe it until they see it but racing’s first major heavyweight clash of 2022 between Energumene and Shishkin at Ascot on Saturday week is theoretically at least still a runner.

The outstanding pair of two-mile stars dominate the top of the betting for Cheltenham’s Queen Mother Champion Chase in March.

However both camps have confirmed they are looking at the upcoming SBK Clarence House Chase as a Grade 1 target first.

Willie Mullins was adamant over Christmas about plans for Energumene to go to Ascot for a race that Ireland's champion trainer won three times in a row with Un de Sceaux between 2016-18.

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On Sunday he repeated that and said: “We’ll see how things progress but we plan to go to go to Ascot with him for the Clarence House Chase on January 22nd and we’re hoping to fulfil that engagement.”

Energuemene is a general 4-5 favourite in ante-post betting for the Ascot highlight.

Shishkin’s odds of 7-4 are perhaps a reflection of widespread suspicions that any mouth-watering Anglo-Irish clash between the dominant two performers in the two-mile chase division will have to wait until the festival.

Nicky Henderson’s star does after all top the Cheltenham market at 11-10 with his Irish rival a 7-4 shot.

The pair were due to meet in last season’s Arkle at Cheltenham until a late setback ruled out Energumene.

Henderson landed the Clarence House with two former superstar performers in Sprinter Sacre (2013) and Altior (2019) and although famed for taking a cautious approach on the run up to March’s festival he indicated on Sunday that Shishkin could yet line up at Ascot.

“At the moment we’re preparing as if (we’re going to run.) I cannot promise that’s what’s going to happen. I’d like Nico (de Boinville) to have a sit on him at the end of this week and he’s very good at being able to tell me. He was the one who told me (to run) before Kempton.

“If we’re happy next weekend there’s every possibility he will go to Ascot,” he reported.

Shishkin impressed on his first start of the season when scoring in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton over Christmas.

Energumene missed out on a holiday run at Leopardstown but earlier last month routed his opposition at Cork in the Hilly Way Chase.

Last year’s Clarence House winner, First Flow, is being targeted at the race again while Hitman, runner up to Greaneteen in Sandown’s Tingle Creek last month, is also in the mix.

In other news Nicky Henderson hasn't ruled out splitting up his hugely exciting pair of novice hurdlers, Jonbon and Constitution Hill at Cheltenham.

The latter embellished his already massive reputation when striking in style in Saturday’s Tolworth Hurdle at Sandown. That pushed him to the top of the Supreme Novices Hurdle betting alongside his stable companion.

“Jonbon is a very, very good horse. I’m lucky that I’m the person that doesn’t have to split them. You’d be lucky to have one.

“They both look like two milers. The only way you could force the issue is to come to the conclusion that one of them would get another half-mile.

“It’s interesting because a few years ago we had Simonsig who was very strong. He looked like a two miler but we actually ran him in the two and a half (Ballymore) which he won very easily.

“I suppose you would (enter both horses in both novice hurdles.) I’d need to speak to JP (McManus) and Michael (Buckley) and see if they’re both happy to do that.

“Both horses look as good as we’ve got anyway. They look like two milers, to be honest,” Henderson reported.