Timeform highlight a ratings banker, a big improver and a Flag to note at Aintree and Sandown on Saturday.
The Ratings Banker
Shishkin – 14:55 Sandown
Shishkin was the outstanding novice chaser in training in 2020/21, showing top-class form in winning his first five starts over fences, and last season began in a similar vein as he made a seamless transition into open company with victories in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton and Clarence House Chase at Ascot.
The Clarence House was arguably the race of the season as Shishkin edged ahead of Energumene late on to maintain his unbeaten record over fences, not travelling so well as the runner-up from a fair way out but typically proving strong in the finish.
That form identifies Shishkin as Timeform’s highest-rated jumps horse in training and very much the one to beat in this line-up. For context, he is 10 lb clear of the defending champion Greaneteen on weight-adjusted ratings, not to mention 17 lb clear of Gentleman de Mee and 18 lb clear of Edwardstone, two of the leading novices from last season.
On the sidelines since being pulled up in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in March, Shishkin is reported to have made a full recovery from the rare bone condition that ailed him on that occasion, so this looks a good opportunity for him to get his career back on track with a fifth Grade One success.
The Big Improver
Strong Leader – 11:45 Aintree
Strong Leader showed useful form in a couple of starts in bumpers, making a striking winning debut at Warwick in May before returning from nearly six months off with a good second in a Listed event at Cheltenham’s Showcase Meeting.
That looked a strong contest on paper and Strong Leader shaped with plenty of promise behind another unbeaten one who was always better placed in a slowly-run race, doing well under the circumstances to be beaten only four lengths having made good late headway.
Strong Leader then went to Uttoxeter three weeks ago where he justified prohibitive odds with the minimum of fuss on hurdling debut. He looked in need of the experience to a degree but created a good impression by the end, quickening clear on the run-in to win by two and three-quarter lengths in ready fashion.
This promises to be tougher under a penalty, but it’s fair to say that Strong Leader has made a very promising start to his career and the large ‘P’ attached to his Timeform rating denotes that he has scope for plenty of improvement over hurdles.
He can make it two from two in this sphere before going on to bigger and better things.
The Timeform Flag
Revels Hill – 15:30 Sandown
Horse In Focus, Timeform Top Rated
Revels Hill looked a young staying chaser to follow when ending last season with back-to-back wins at Taunton and, though meeting with defeat on his reappearance at Ascot a couple of weeks ago, he certainly showed enough in that run to suggest he will be winning more races this winter.
In pure form terms, Revels Hill proved better than ever in filling the runner-up spot at Ascot, lining up there from a 15 lb higher mark than when registering the first of his two wins at Taunton. There was plenty of promise in his effort, too, particularly with a view to stepping back up in trip as he stuck to his task well to pass the post less than four lengths behind the winner.
That race was run over two miles and five furlongs, so it was a real feather in his cap that he could get competitive over a distance so clearly shy of his best having won over three and a half miles last season.
There won’t be any excuses on that front today and Revels Hill is well worth another chance to prove himself a well-handicapped horse from a BHA mark of 138, with further progress by no means out of the question given his lightly raced profile.
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
