Alex Hammond Blog ahead of Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown

I feel very lucky to have been at Doncaster on Saturday to see super Shishkin maintain his unbeaten record over fences.

I don’t know what I was expecting from him in the flesh, but he’s not flashy to look at and I’d go as far to say he’s a little underwhelming physically. That all changes when he sees a fence, though, where his athleticism and scope make him stand out from the crowd.

He’s no showman that’s for sure, but he’s one of those individuals that quietly goes about his business and before you know it, he’s run them all ragged. The way he skipped away from the field certainly had the wow factor.

The Lightning Novices’ Chase isn’t a race that has been a successful stepping-stone to the Arkle in the past, but if Shishkin doesn’t buck that trend I’d be astonished. There aren’t many novice chasers that you can watch comfortably and not have your heart in your mouth, but to me he looks foot sure and ballerina like at his fences.

He wasn’t completely without fault, but you’d be nit-picking to point out he wasn’t as straight as a dye at all his fences, but with that sort of engine and ability it doesn’t matter. He’s the best young chaser this side of the Irish sea and so important for racing, particularly in the current climate.

Shishkin is 8/11 with Sky Bet for the Sporting Life Arkle and I can’t wait to see his main market rival at the Festival Energumene (6/1 for the Cheltenham contest) in action at the Dublin Racing Festival this weekend. He’s 5/6 favourite to win the Irish Arkle on Saturday at Leopardstown and is very hard to oppose.

Can he do anything to worry Shishkin’s connections come March time? I think he will and that 6/1 might not be around after Saturday’s race. If both horses turn up at Prestbury Park we’ll be in for a real treat.

Also at the Dublin Racing Festival, the Irish Champion Hurdle is on Saturday where Honeysuckle is 11/8 favourite, but having been with Sharjah when he won over Christmas I’m not abandoning him now, even against this incredible mare. He always seems to be overlooked, which didn’t bother me when he won at 11/2 last time out! That’s not the case here and he’s 2/1 to win this.

The Irish Gold Cup on Sunday looks fascinating, can Minella Indo put his fall in the Savills Chase last time out behind him?

I spoke to his trainer Henry De Bromhead after that mishap on Sky Sports Racing and he still had plenty of confidence in the horse, but he has plenty to prove if he’s to make up into a protagonist in the Gold Cup for which he’s currently 9/1 with Sky Bet.

In a small field, I’m not against Melon to run a big race. He ran encouragingly on his first try over three miles over fences in that Savills Chase, finishing third beaten just two lengths and he’s overdue another win over fences after a string of good efforts in defeat, including that nose defeat to Samcro in the Marsh at last year’s Cheltenham Festival. He’s an admirable horse and is 100/30 for the Irish Gold Cup.

The number of leading contenders that Willie Mullins has to run across the meeting is incredible. Notwithstanding the aforementioned trio he also has a few other headline horses to look forward to. Chacun Pour Soi in the Dublin Chase (4/9 fav), Monkfish in the Flogas Novice Chase (4/6 fav) and Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle favourite Appreciate It in Sunday’s Grade One Novice Hurdle.

So an array of equine stars on show at the weekend, but perhaps the horse I’m most looking forward to seeing on track is another Mullins inmate, a mare owned by the Closutton Racing Club, a syndicate I’m lucky enough to have a share in.

Robinnia needs one to come out to get into the Paddy Mullins Mares' Handicap Hurdle on Sunday and it’s a hugely competitive race. However, if she gets a run, she has a nice racing weight and won’t mind the ground so I’m hoping she gives us all a good spin round.