dear o dear o dear! what a calamity! What a to-do!

At mid-day on Saturday November 25th, the chances of a British-trained winner of the 2024 Cheltenham Gold Cup were pretty limited. By 4 pm, hope of home glory was all but gone.
The I.T.V. pundits, all of whom thought Shishkin a good thing to beat Pic d’orly, if that’s the correct spelling of his name, were of the joint opinion after the race that Shishkin’s refusal to race was ‘always on the cards’. I admit, I did not anticipate that particular card being dealt, though it would not have disappointed me greatly if he had finished second to the Paul Nicholls’ horse as I believe Shishkin to be an out and out stayer and his successes over 2-miles were only proof of his classiness. 
Nicky Henderson was shell-shocked, as evidenced by the ambush interview performed by an arm-twisted (by his producer, I suspect) Luke Harvey. He didn’t want to comment on what he had just witnessed and when pushed couldn’t form a coherent sentence either in support of his horse or how he intended to proceed. Henderson is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve and he was deeply embarrassed by Shishkin’s appalling behaviour. 
I must admit, I didn’t see why Shishkin needed sheepskins. He may think he has performed to the letter of his contract once he has got his head in front but at Aintree at the end of last season, though he may not have inspired praise for his class, he out-battled a good horse in Ahoy Senor and proved beyond all doubt that he needed every yard of 3-miles. Nicky Henderson does not need any advice from me or anyone other than Nico de Boinville, though I would whisper in his ear, if the unlikely opportunity were to arise, that a trip up to Newcastle along with Constitution Hill next Saturday would be a better idea than supplementing him for the Tingle Creek. The Rehearsal Chase is over 3-miles, Nico will be there, it will be new territory for him and I would suspect the opposition will not be of the highest class. Shishkin may not be in need of a confidence booster but Nicky Henderson sure is.
I thought Shiskin our best chance of bringing down G. D. C. come March. I thought the Cheltenham hill would bring his stamina to the fore. Sadly, I cannot see that happening now due to the egg all over my face.
In some ways, Bravemansgame was an even bigger disappointment than naughty boy Shishkin. He ran his race, displaying an immaculate jumping technique, perhaps one disagreement with Daryl Jacobs, and for the majority of the race looked the only likely winner. On form, Royale Pigaille should not have finished within ten-lengths of Bravemansgame, yet he was beaten fair and square, with the winner forging clear after the last fence. If the Betfair were run at Cheltenham, it would be easy imagine even Corach Rambler running past Bravemansgame up the hill.
Horses can improve for no discernible reason, as they can also go backwards in form. Training racehorses is not a science, neither is study of form. Paul Nicholls makes few mistakes, as proven by his decision to keep Harry Cobden at Ascot where he rode 4-winners, greatly improving his chances of reeling in Sean Bowen. Remember, people wrote-off Kauto Star several times and yet he came back to win a second Gold Cup and more remarkably a fourth Betfair. Bravemansgame will be back, though it would take a brave man at the top of his game to back him for the Cheltenham Gold Cup and it may take a prayer to He upon high to back him to beat Allaho in the King George.
Personally, I would give Bravemansgame a rest and go to Leopardstown and take on G.D.C. on his home turf at the Dublin Spring Festival before deciding whether to have another crack at the Gold Cup. It might be, and for all our sakes I hope it is not so, but the Ryanair might be the race for him, as Matt Chapman continues to suggest.
Though he was only third, the horse that impressed me on Saturday was Crambo. It looked to me that Haydock is the wrong type of course for a horse who seemed to need every yard of 3-miles, staying on stoutly to suggest that in another furlong he would gone past Slate Lane, the winner of the race. Crambo has Cheltenham written all over him and the Stayers Hurdle would not be a case of tilting at windmills by his connections.
Now it is the turn of G.D.C. to tighten the screw on British hopes of claiming back the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Let’s hope he doesn’t mess things up as both Bravemansgame and Shiskin achieved yesterday.
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