Shishkin needed to work onerous earlier than getting his first win of the season and put himself nicely in rivalry for subsequent month’s Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The Nicky Henderson-trained horse had unseated jockey Nico de Boinville at Kempton final trip after refusing to race in his season-opener at Ascot.
However the 8-11 favorite outstayed each Hitman and Protektorat to land the Denman Chase at Newbury.
“What we noticed right now was a stepping stone to the Gold Cup,” mentioned De Boinville.
“There may be undoubtedly extra to return.”
There had been questions of the 10-year-old after the King George VI Chase on Boxing Day, the place he stumbled after the second-last when wanting a possible winner.
However this time he began easily and other than a minor error early on, he tracked chief Protektorat for a very long time, then took the lead on the second-last and went on to win by four-and-a-quarter lengths.
“He’s a implausible horse however he simply takes a little bit of realizing,” the successful jockey advised ITV Racing. “It was good to atone for Boxing Day.
“He galloped to the road and it was a case of conserving him and glad.”
Henderson, who received the race for the third time, admitted he was relieved.
“I believe this race will do him numerous good. He wanted the run,” he mentioned
“Other than one fence he jumped nice. We’re answerable for him now and he’s behaving our means.”
