Shishkin extends winning run after impressive Arkle performance at Cheltenham Festival for Nicky Henderson

It's now seven wins in a row for the seven-year-old

NICKY Henderson secured a seventh win in the Sporting Life Arkle Challenge Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival as Shishkin stormed to victory by 12 lengths.

With jockey Nico de Boinville on board, Shishkin extended his winning streak to seven – finishing ahead of Eldorado Allen and Captain Guinness in second and third respectively.

The result comes 30 years after Henderson tasted his first Arkle victory, with Remittance Man in 1991.

Speaking to ITV Racing, he said: “We have been very lucky in these two mile chasers, especially recently, as Altior followed Sprinter Sacre.

“It’s a long time ago since Remittance Man, but he was a star and it’s extraordinary.

“It’s not the same, it will never be the same without the people here, but it still does the same to you when you’re watching all the way round.”

Lambourn-based jockey de Boinville, who maintained his winning run with Shishkin, was delighted with him and it comes 12 months on from his Supreme Novices' Hurdle win.

“I am absolutely over the moon and I am delighted to be on a horse like Shishkin because his profile is amazing and he is a fantastic horse.

“After that performance you could say that he will be anything,” he said. “It’s a massive shame that Energumene didn’t come over and hopefully he’ll be alright.

“It would have been some match-up, but Shishkin was in fantastic form and the team have done a wonderful job.

“He is very versatile, let’s not pigeon hole him to trips at the moment because that was a really hard and fast two mile race and no prisoners were taken.

Meanwhile Jaydon Lee, who looks after Shishkin at Seven Barrows, added: “He is one in a million and I love him to pieces and everyday he is amazing to look after.

“He is fairly quiet at home and you wouldn’t really notice him in the string, but he has got some engine.”

In the Unibet Champion Hurdle, the Henderson-trained Epatante was unable to defend her crown as she finished third behind favourite Honeysuckle and second place Sharjah.