Timeform highlight a ratings choice, a big improver and a Flag of note on day three of the Cheltenham Festival.
The Ratings Choice
Shishkin – 14:50 Cheltenham
Shishkin bounced back to his brilliant best with an emphatic victory in the Ascot Chase last month, clearly relishing the step up to two miles and five furlongs as he powered clear in the straight to win by 16 lengths from Pic d’Orhy, who is a high-class chaser in his own right and was in turn seven lengths clear of the multiple Grade One winner Fakir d’Oudairies.
That is clearly very strong form and it was a performance which saw Shishkin reclaim the mantle of Timeform’s highest-rated chaser in training, ahead of the likes of Allaho, who has won the last two renewals of the Ryanair but is sadly sidelined this year due to injury. In his absence, Shishkin has a significant class edge over the rest in the latest edition of this race, with his main form rival, Blue Lord, still having 12 lb to find on Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings.
The only concern with Shishkin is whether he’ll find this coming too soon less than four weeks on from Ascot, especially as he’s experienced his fair share of physical issues over the last 12 months. However, he is so far superior to his eight rivals that it’s probably worth giving him the benefit of the doubt as he seeks a third Cheltenham Festival victory having previously won the Supreme in 2020 and Arkle in 2021.
The Big Improver
Luccia – 16:50 Cheltenham
Unbeaten in two starts in bumpers last season, by a cumulative margin of over 23 lengths, Luccia has picked up where she left off with two more impressive victories since making the switch to hurdling this term, winning a Listed mares’ novice at Newbury in November and then defying a penalty to follow up in a similar event against the boys at Exeter last month.
She could hardly have been more dismissive of her rivals when winning by 11 lengths on the last occasion, travelling powerfully and always having matters in hand after quickening to lead on the approach to three out, with the only moment of concern for her supporters coming when she made a mess of the last (jumped well otherwise).
There is little doubt that Luccia is the best horse in the Dawn Run and she tops the field on Timeform’s weight-adjusted despite having to concede weight to all bar two of her 20 rivals. Most excitingly of all, the feeling remains that we’ve only scratched the surface of her potential and the large ‘P’ attached to her rating underlines that she is likely to prove capable of significantly better when the situation demands it.
So Scottish won his first two races over fences and then showed improved form in defeat when last seen finding only the smart Boothill too good in a valuable handicap at Ascot in November, shaping well to boot in a race which wouldn’t have played to his strengths.
Sent off the 2/1 joint favourite at Ascot, So Scottish was beaten just a length and a quarter at the line and arguably deserved extra credit having shaped as if the drop back to two miles was very much against him. He didn’t jump as well as the winner, either, but should improve in that department as he gains in experience in these deeper waters.
Trained by Emmet Mullins, who won the Plate with The Shunter in 2021, So Scottish will be suited by the return to further today and he’s seemingly been saved for this since Ascot. That tells its own story and his astute connections have clearly taken the view that the unexposed So Scottish could still be one step ahead of the handicapper from a BHA mark of 143.
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