King Of The Squiggles: Shishkin gets black mark for Ascot antics

Multiple Grade One winner Sishkin has become the highest-rated chaser in more than 30 years to be awarded a Timeform squiggle after his refusal to race at Ascot on Saturday.

The symbol denotes a horse who is “unreliable for temperamental or other reasons” and was given to Nicky Henderson’s star following his weekend antics.

Sishkin was sent off the 8/13 favourite for Grade Two Nirvana Spa 1965 Chase, having won 13 of his previous 17 races and £736,000 in prize money. However, he initially refused to line-up with the other horses and then proceeded to plant himself when the tapes went up.

His behaviour will have surprised plenty but perhaps not Ruby Walsh, who had spotted waywardness in Sishkin at the Cheltenham Festival in March, when he was runner-up in the Ryanair Chase.

"Put a pair of blinkers on him," Walsh said in his Racing TV Road To Cheltenham wrap with Lydia Hislop. "He didn't want to line up, he didn't want to go forward, but he still kept getting involved. I'd put a pair of blinkers on him.

"Nico (de Boinville) was right, he was curling up [at the start]. If he wasn't right, he couldn't have made those mistakes and run the way he did through the race and still finish second. He is having a laugh - I think he's swinging the leg."

Sishkin certainly had the last laugh on Saturday, despite being equipped with cheekpieces. Henderson is now mulling running him in the Betmgm Reharsal Chase at Newcastle on Saturday as he plots a course to next month’s LadbrokesdKing George VI Chase at Kempton.

In their report on the Ascot race, Timeform said: "Shishkin had hammered the winner in their Ascot Chase clash last season but planted himself at the start and took no part in their rematch, this perhaps not entirely surprising in hindsight, that he was tried in headgear despite a win at Aintree on his final start last season suggesting connections had some concerns about his attitude; he's still a brilliant chaser on his day but has to be treated with caution for the time being."

Timeform’s chase handicapper Phil Turner says the nine-year-old isn’t typical of a horse to be given a squiggle.

He said: “To be honest, Shishkin is something of a rarity – most of our high-profile squiggle horses down the years have been awarded the symbol for throwing things away at the end of their races, not the start!

“For example, the likes of top-class hurdlers Bird’s Nest, Gaye Brief and Harchibald were wonderful servants for their connections who won a stack of big races, but they were sometimes let down by their finishing displays in races they seemed set to win and this rendered them hard to predict from a punting viewpoint.

“By contrast, Shishkin has displayed tremendous battling qualities for several of his biggest wins, being notably strong at the death when winning the 2020 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, pipping Energumene in the 2022 Clarence House Chase and then for his latest success in last season’s Aintree Bowl.

“This clearly sets him apart from those other names mentioned and, given that backdrop, there is always a possibility that Saturday’s antics will prove to be a one-off. However, if we’ve got no idea whether he’ll set off or not next time – and by the sound of things Nicky Henderson is similarly uncertain – then he clearly has to be viewed as a risky betting proposition for now, and a squiggle is our way of alerting our subscribers to that fact.”

With a master rating of 176, Shishkin is the highest-rated chaser this century to be given a squiggle. Here are nine other top chasers who were also awarded a Timeform squiggle during their careers.

Timeform Master rating: 174.

_Tidal Bay: when he was good he was very good _

Won ten of his first 13 races for Howard Johnson but his head carriage kept getting higher and higher, and his inclination to run in snatches became more pronounced. There were still thrilling moments during his unpredictable journey, including a 15-length win in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown.

Timeform Master rating: 173

The first Betfair Chase winner, in 2005, never won again in 11 subsequent races under Rules. He would often seem to lose interest, despite having a spell point-to-pointing in an attempt to revive him.

Timeform Master rating: 168

Won a stack of big prizes for Martin Pipe and then his son, David, but could also have his off days. “He remains something of a puzzle,” Timeform observed after his neck defeat in the 2007 Ryanair Chase, where he didn’t look keen only to then finish best of all.

Timeform Master rating: 168

Won the Tingle Creek and Clarence House Chase in the 2009-10 season but later that campaign disgraced himself by refusing to race at Punchestown.

Timeform Master rating: 168

Won at the Grand National meeting for a second time in 1998 but failed to win in 18 subsequent races. “Ran in snatches” and “dossed” were recurring remarks, with blinkers failing to eradicate his quirky nature.

Timeform Master rating: 168

The three-time Cheltenham Festival winner took some beating on his going days but he could also race lazily and offer his jockey next to no assistance on other days. He got the better of AP McCoy on a few occasions, and not many did that.

Timeform Master rating: 166

His 12 career victories included the 2013 Game Spirit Chase but his previous display at Kempton, where he looked all over the winner only to down tools, summed up his unreliable nature.

Timeform Master rating: 166

Won the (now defunct) Cathcart Chase at the 1996 Cheltenham Festival and won the Paddy Power Gold Cup later that year. Only six at the time, he looked destined for the top. But he flattered to deceive time and again afterwards, adopting an “after you” approach, including in the 1997 King George when outbattled by See More Business.

Timeform Master rating: 166

Had the distinction of halting Altior’s 19-race win sequence at Ascot four years ago but he only flashed that brilliance once afterwards, when landing the Charlie Hall Chase a year later. Timeform put him in their naughty corner, although the horse did have some health issues which led to him being retired at the age of just 10.