Shishkin is brilliant in the Sporting Life Arkle

Sporting Life Arkle reaction: Timeform on Shishkin performance

Horse Racing

Thu March 18, 2021 · 5y ago

Timeform rate Shishkin's performance in winning the Sporting Life Arkle as the second best among Nicky Henderson's seven winners.

The brilliant and unbeaten chaser barely came off the bridle to beat Eldorado Allen and earned a rating of 171P - indicating the Halifax-based firm feel he's capable of significant improvement.

It's a mark 13 pounds below what Sprinter Sacre earned for his thumping defeat of Cue Card in 2012 but ten above that earned by Altior in 2017.

Timeform chase handicapper Phil Turner said: “Sprinter Sacre’s win came in one of the classiest races ever staged at the Cheltenham Festival – he beat Cue Card by seven lengths, with the top-class pair Menorah and Al Ferof mere specks in the distance behind them!"

Timeform Cheltenham offer

“It looked at one stage that this year’s renewal of the Sporting Life Arkle could produce something similar but, even in the absence of Energumene, the strong gallop set by Allmankind and Captain Guinness still ensured that Shishkin’s mettle would be tested and it’s an understatement to say that he passed with flying colours.

“The early signs suggest Shishkin also clocked a mighty figure on the stopwatch and, although his rating is a notch below that lofty one Sprinter Sacre ran to, it still has to be viewed as one of the best performances in the race’s long history. There is a vintage crop of novice chasers this season and Shishkin’s new Timeform rating of 171P puts him at the top of the tree for now.”

Shishkin wins the Sporting Life Arkle

Champion still has work to do to match greats

Honeysuckle became the fifth mare to win the Unibet Champion Hurdle since World War II – here is how she ranks against the previous four on Timeform ratings at the same stage of their careers:

1984: Dawn Run – 173

1994: Flakey Dove – 166

2016: Annie Power – 170+

2020: Epatante – 161p

2021: Honeysuckle – 165p

Timeform hurdles handicapper Martin Rigg said: “Although she’s yet to achieve quite the same lofty ratings as Dawn Run or Annie Power, Honeysuckle can certainly be mentioned in the same breath as that illustrious pair.

"For a start, she’s still unbeaten and has taken her form to new levels on her last two starts, which suggests there could still be a fair bit more improvement to come.

“Honeysuckle, of course, is the third mare to win the Champion Hurdle in the past six years, which clearly illustrates what an advantage the 7 lb sex allowance is at this level. That said, it’s important to stress that she would have won today’s race even without the allowance, whilst her rating is still 5 lb superior to the figure posted by runaway Supreme winner Appreciate It earlier in the afternoon – she’s a top-notch performer whichever way you look at it!”