Nicky Henderson’s stable star dies after fracturing leg

LAMBOURN trainer Nicky Henderson paid tribute to stable star Shishkin, who died last Wednesday aged 10 after suffering a fracture to his hind leg.

It continued a nightmare year for Seven Barrows based Henderson, who was forced to pull several star horses out of the Cheltenham Festival and then had Champion Hurdle winner Constitution Hill hospitalised with colic.

Shishkin was due to travel to Ireland this week to take on Galopin Des Champs in an eagerly-anticipated clash at the Punchestown festival.

But Henderson wrote on X: “Tragically we have lost Shishkin this evening after he got cast in his stable and fractured his hind leg.

“Everyone involved in Seven Barrows, particularly his owners, Joe and Maris Donnelly, Jaydon, Nico and George are obviously devastated that such a great horse, friend and warrior has gone.

“He was due to leave for Punchestown, but sadly this is now not to be.

“He was an absolute superstar and his CV is testament to that - except the King George is not in it even though we believe it should have been.

“The Supreme Novice Hurdle and the Arkle were his Cheltenham highlights, but the battle with Energumene in the Clarence House at Ascot was probably his greatest.

“This is a very sad night. He was our star and we will never forget him.

“Thank you Shishkin for the wonderful memories.”

Shishkin established himself as a high-class performer for the six-time champion trainer, when he won the 2020 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.

He cruised to three wins the following season before outclassing his rivals in the Arkle on his return to Cheltenham.

His greatest performance, which earned him a Racing Post Rating of 179, came when coming out on top in an epic battle with Energumene, the other top two-mile chaser of the time, in the 2022 Clarence House Chase at Ascot.

He was beaten on his comeback the following season in the Tingle Creek but romped home by 16 lengths in the Ascot Chase and then won the Aintree Bowl in his first race over three miles.

This season he refused to start in the 1965 Chase at Ascot, while he was unseated when in contention in the King George, but he bounced back to win the Denman Chase at Newbury.

A horse is said to be cast when it lies down in the stable and has its legs too close to the wall so it can't get up again.