After breaking his leg in his stable and receiving a cast, Cheltenham Festival hero Shishkin passed away. The horse’s trainer, Nicky Henderson, made the announcement of his passing on social media on Sunday night. The horse was scheduled to travel to Ireland on Wednesday to compete in the Punchestown Gold Cup.
Henderson wrote on X, “Unfortunately, we have lost Shishkin this evening after he got cast in his stable and broke his hind leg.” “It is evident that everyone connected to Seven Barrows, especially his owners Joe and Marie Donnelly, Jaydon, Nico, and George, are heartbroken over the loss of such a wonderful horse, companion, and warrior.
“Unfortunately, he will not be able to travel to Punchestown tomorrow morning as planned. His resume is proof that he was a true superstar, yet it is missing King George, even though we think it should have been.
The race against Energumene in the Clarence House at Ascot was perhaps his greatest, but his highlights from Cheltenham were the Supreme Novice Hurdle and the Arkle. What a depressing night it is. We will always remember him as our shining star. Shishkin, thank you for the amazing memories.
Shishkin gained notoriety in the 2019–20 season, winning all but one of his first 12 races in the regulations. He defeated Eldorado Allen in the 2020 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, and an Arkle victory the following year confirmed his victory. And possibly his best performance occurred in the Clarence House at Ascot in 2022 when he battled the Energumene-trained horse Willie Mullins and prevailed by a mere length.
Due of inadequate scope, Shishkin was unable to attend the Cheltenham Festival after winning the Denman Chase at Newbury earlier this year. Later that month, the horse raced his last race and finished fourth in the Grade 1 William Hill Bowl at the Grand National Festival at Aintree.
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