IT is not the sort of day that praising Nico de Boinville will make him feel any better following the dreadful news of Shishkin’s passing, which filtered through Sunday evening.
Shishkin fractured his hind leg after being cast in his box. He was due to line up in this week’s Punchestown Gold Cup.
However, before I get on to the great horse, I’m not deviating from my De Boinville plan because his determined but chilled mindset is one we can all learn from. It is worth highlighting.
In many ways the jumps season that has just passed has been a shocker for de Boinville’s boss Nicky Henderson, for all that he has continued like a trojan.
Who would have thought that jumps racing’s brightest star Constitution Hill would end up with just a Christmas Hurdle on his CV? And Cheltenham was a write-off.
But De Boinville has shown us all what can happen when, however disappointed and frustrated inside, you don’t complain and have talent.
In particular, this can be seen by his handling of a tricky situation over the JP McManus horses housed at Seven Barrows.
For years, De Boinville has been ditched by those in charge of sorting out riders for the famous gold, green and white silks.
The statistics show this clearly.
In the 2023-24 campaign De Boinville notched no less than nine winners from 22 rides in the JP silks. That’s sizzling.
But go back to 2019-20 it was none from one ride, and in 2016-17 none from seven.
In recent times it was Aidan Coleman who took the mounts off Henderson’s main man, which meant, for many big days, he had to watch on with Epatante and Jonbon.
But with Coleman’s knee injury and now retirement, De Boinville was thrust into the hot seat and boy has he delivered.
The strong, powerful and positive ride Jonbon needs was delivered to perfection in Saturday’s Grade 1 Celebration Chase at Sandown, and was equally done so on the same horse in the Grade 1 Melling at Aintree.
Iberico Lord was also terrific for the pair in the Betfair Hurdle.
It’s been a classic case of no complaints, head down and take the chance if it ever comes from De Boinville.
Nicolai Chastel de Boinville is not one for using ten words when one will do and he will never be champion jockey, but as a team player there is no one you would rather have more in your squad.
JP McManus knows it now. A class act.
Onto Shishkin. Oh, Shishkin. From start to finish you have tormented us with brilliance and frustration.
We asked you questions and you so often delivered.
The winner of 14 races from his 21 starts and getting on for £1m in prize-money, Shishkin always showed star quality from that first bumper at Kempton when he destroyed Certainly Red by nine lengths, a horse who himself showed how good he is with a place in the big handicap chase at Sandown on Saturday.
Shishkin fell in his first novice hurdle, refused to race once at Ascot and tripped up with the 2023 King George at his mercy.
In between all that he banged in a Grade 1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham and a Grade 1 Arkle Chase at the same track.
And there was that super cool battle with Energumene in the 2022 Clarence House at Ascot.
This week I’ll be heading to Brighton and Lingfield races, but sadly not Newmarket for the Guineas at the weekend which I’m absolutely gutted about.
Some of the interviews I’ve enjoyed doing most have come at that fixture with Aidan O’Brien and Charlie Appleby.
Like you all, though, I’ll be watching on as we see if City of Troy is the real deal in the 2000.
It’s a hard Guineas to get a grip on, as both O’Brien’s Dewhurst hero City of Troy and Richard Hannon’s French Group 1 hero Rosallion have yet to run this term.
The latter, of course, gives Sean Levey a huge chance to grab his first Classic success.
Ironically, Levey’s old man used to work for City of Troy’s handler.
There are lurkers in there as well, as Notable Speech could be anything and Ghostwriter is no mug.
It promises to be a belter and as was the case in the Grand National, I’ll try and find you the winner in my Saturday paper column.
The Flat is well and truly upon us.
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