Jonbon runs at Haydock on Saturday

Cheltenham Festival clues and entries: Shishkin and Energumene dominate

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Mon January 17, 2022 · 4y ago

The SBK Clarence House Chase dominates but there are more Cheltenham clues to be found among the entries this week - check out the highlights.

House party causing all the noise

Not too often you get 'race of the season' being bandied around in late-January but that could be the case this weekend if Shishkin and Energumene are both lining up for Saturday's SBK Clarence House Chase.

Granted, there are only five entries for the two-mile Grade One at the five-day stage, but that matters not for jumps racing fans providing the big two are declared on Thursday morning.

For more on that mouth-watering rivalry click here, though it's not the only Ascot race to potentially offer up a Festival pointer with the opening SBK Betting Podcast Juvenile Hurdle featuring some interesting four-year-olds, and Dan Skelton unleashing Galia Des Liteaux in either the Grade Two SBK Mares' Hurdle or the SBK British EBF National Hunt Novices' Hurdle that closes the card.

Over to you, Jonbon

Shishkin's unbeaten stablemate Jonbon puts the final touches to his Cheltenham preparation in Haydock's Sky Bet Supreme Trial Rossington Maiden Novices' Hurdle at Haydock.

The JP McManus-owned brother to Douvan made £570,000 in the sales ring and hasn't really put a foot wrong on the racecourse yet, but he woke up on Monday morning as the third-favourite for the Festival curtain-raiser following recent wins for another stable companion, Constitution Hill, at Sandown and Willie Mullins' Dysart Dynamo at Punchestown on Sunday.

Tolworth Hurdle runner-up Might I is engaged to face Jonbon in the two-mile Grade Two, along with Nick Alexander's Donny Boy and Donald McCain-trained Richmond Lake.

Elsewhere on the card, Betfair Chase runner-up Royale Pagaille is in line to try and repeat last year's victory in the Peter Marsh Handicap Chase, having missed the King George at Kempton through injury. Bristol De Mai is also entered in the same race.

Winter Million meeting

Lingfield's new, three-day Winter Million fixture included two all-jumps cards on Friday and Sunday, the latter featuring the £150,000 Fleur De Lys Chase over two and three-quarter miles.

Master Tommytucker, Itchy Feet, Dashel Drasher and Bristol De Mai all appear among the entries along with star Irish possible Fakir D'Oudairies, while Friday's card could see Calva D'Auge and On The Blind Side both bid to get back on track as they face Emitom and Molly Ollys Wishes in the Winter Million Hurdle over two miles and seven furlongs.

Sunday also includes an Irish meeting from Thurles where the Grade Two Horse & Jockey Hotel Chase and the Grade Two Coolmore NH Sires Kew Gardens Irish EBF Mares Novice Chase - won last year by subsequent Festival heroine Colreevy - take top billing.

Main attraction at Newbury

Newbury's card on Wednesday could be the most significant when it comes to unearthing a Festival gem or two and the Skelton-trained Cousu Main is likely to attract plenty of attention.

He's entered in the two-mile Start Your RacingTV Free Trial Novices' Hurdle, having fallen on his jumping debut at Lingfield prior to a 12-length victory second time out in a Uttoxeter maiden last month.

The DJB Cleaning Ltd Mares' Handicap Hurdle is the most valuable race on the programme and could see Nicky Henderson's recent course winner Gran Luna bid for another success at the track.

Closing time for novice chasers

The entries for the 2022 Cheltenham Festival continue to filter through every Tuesday/Wednesday and this week it's the novice chase races which close on January 18.

The Sporting Life Arkle, National Hunt Chase, Brown Advisory Novices' Chase and Turners Novices' Chase all close at noon on Tuesday, with confirmations and weights published at their respective six-day stages.

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