Find out the entries for Saturday's big races at Newbury with Shishkin potentially facing four rivals in the Denman Chase

Shishkin is odds-on to win Saturday's Betfair Denman Chase at Newbury.

The classiest chaser on official ratings in Britain, he unseated late in the King George VI Chase and has been aimed at this meeting in recent weeks.

His potential opposition includes Protektorat and Hitman, while Does He Know and Sam Brown could also line up. Shishkin is 2-5 to win with Betfair, who also sponsor Newbury's Game Spirit.

Six horses are engaged in that and Boothill heads the betting at 6-4 from Edwardstone, who is 2-1.

Alan King reports Edwardstone to be in good form, with the Grade 1 winner last seen finishing fourth of five in the Grade 2 Silviniaco Conti Chase at Kempton.

Before his below-par Kempton effort, Edwardstone filled second spot behind Jonbon on two occasions, firstly in the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham and then in the Grade 1 Tingle Creek at Sandown in December.

King said: "He’s fine and hopefully we’ll be heading for the Game Spirit on Saturday. We’ll see where we are after next weekend.

"He came out of Kempton well but he was quite keen and we kept pulling him back. Whether he was just disappointed I’m not sure, but he’s been in very good form since and we’re going back to two miles."

Edwardstone has good form at Newbury, having placed third in the 2021 Betfair Hurdle and finished second in a 2m½f bumper on his debut in November 2018.

King added: "I think he’s fairly straightforward with any track. I’ve never had an issue before, but we just hope we can get him back on track."

Edwardstone: set to run in Game Spirit Chase at NewburyCredit: Alan Crowhurst

The Game Spirit is expected to be Edwardstone’s final run before Cheltenham, for which he holds entries for both the Queen Mother Champion Chase and Ryanair Chase.

The gelding, who won the Arkle at the festival in 2022, is a general 16-1 for both the Champion Chase – a race he finished fifth in last year – and the Ryanair Chase.

The feature race at the Berkshire circuit on Saturday is the Betfair Hurdle and 26 horses remain in contention.

They include Iberico Lord and Luccia - a fancied pair for Nicky Henderson - and Betfair's Barry Orr said: "As you would expect, for the prize-money on offer, the Betfair Hurdle is a fiendishly tricky race to unpick but punters have found Ocastle Des Mottes, who is having his first run for Willie Mullins, and is 7-1 co-favourite from 10-1. 

"They also want to be with Altobelli who is 8-1 from 12-1."

Betfair Denman Chase
Betfair: 2-5 Shishkin, 3 Protektorat, 7 Hitman, 16 Does He Know, 20 Sam Brown

Betfair Game Spirit 
Betfair: 6-4 Boothill, 2 Edwardstone, 4 Funambule Sivola, 5 Editeur Du Gite, 10 Calico, 14 Amarillo Sky 

Betfair Hurdle
Betfair: 7 Iberico Lord, Luccia, Ocastle Des Mottes, 8 Altobelli, Lookaway, 10 Go Dante, Brentford Hope, 12 Aurigny Mill, Spirit D'Aunou, Hansard, Tellherthename, Under Control, 14 Doddiethegreat, 16 Knickerbockerglory, Kamsinas, 20 Jilaijone, L'Eau Du Sud, Norman Fletcher, Onlyamatteroftime, 25 bar

Read these next:

What's on this week: Betfair Hurdle, Grand National entries and Shishkin bidding to bounce back at Newbury 

Mullins bingo: let's help master trainer Willie with his Cheltenham Festival running plans 

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