Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Barry Geraghty thinks a return to cheekpieces is the spark that Shishkin must threaten in subsequent month’s Pageant showpiece.
The star 10-year-old bought his season again on monitor with victory within the Denman Chase at Newbury on Saturday, proving too robust for Hitman and Protektorat, each part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson.
The win got here after he refused to start out on seasonal reappearance again in November at Ascot, earlier than falling when trying set to run an enormous race and probably win the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The dramatic refusal got here whereas sporting cheekpieces, which had been taken off for each runs at Kempton and Newbury, though coach Nicky Henderson put the non-start right down to his freshness slightly than headgear.
And while it might be of venture to try them for a second time within the Cheltenham Gold Cup subsequent month, Barry Geraghty thinks it is an opportunity price taking if it might enhance his leaping and spark him additional within the early phases of the race.
“It was great,” Geraghty advised the Off The Fence digital present. “He is had a blended time of it this season and the efficiency he was placing up within the King George was the actual Shishkin.
“It was extra laboured on Saturday and he appeared to race behind the bridle and that did not assist his leaping – he was a bit sticky at a number of fences.
“He was only doing as much as he had to in the finish. That’s unlike Protektorat who did too much and ran with enthusiasm and paid the price for that in the finish.
“Hitman’s proximity to Shishkin does make you query the shape however I suppose you may have a look at what he did within the King George and he simply proved his wellbeing at Newbury.
“For me, he seemed like he raced like a horse who wanted cheekpieces again on him.
“The question would be would they risk cheekpieces on him after he refused at Ascot but it was that he was fresh as the reason.
“For him to be aggressive within the Gold Cup, he should soar an terrible lot sharper and in the event that they put them again on, they may simply get that out of Shishkin.”
Watch the Off The Fence digital present on the At The Races YouTube channel.