'He's never looked so well' - Nicky Henderson convinced Shishkin has what it takes to deny Galopin Des Champs a Gold Cup repeat

Nicky Henderson is intent on making sure Willie Mullins does not repeat his Dublin Racing Festival dominance at Cheltenham, with the six-time champion trainer convinced Jonbon and Shishkin can join Constitution Hill in denying Mullins in the three races that matter most.

In Constitution Hill, Henderson has the banker of the week, but he also has eyes on lifting the sport's most prestigious prize for a third time – and in dual Cheltenham Festival winner Shishkin he is confident he has a horse to rival Mullins' even-money favourite and defending champion Galopin Des Champs.

Shishkin is the 7-1 third favourite for the Boodles Gold Cup after a far from smooth season for the horse deemed Britain's leading challenger. He refused at Ascot in November and unseated when in contention in the King George, but a confidence-boosting win in Newbury's Denman Chase this month has Henderson sweet on the Supreme and Arkle winner.

"Galopin Des Champs is solid, isn't he? Sometimes I don't think he's as flashy but he's a fine, big, good-looking horse who is very classy and gets the job done," he said. "There are moments you wonder but he gets there. He's won a Gold Cup and has had a good preparation. 

“I’m sure Willie will have his plan and we’ll have our plan and the jockeys will probably have a completely different plan and not listen to either of us. That said we won't ride differently because of Galopin Des Champs, he'll do his thing and we'll do ours."

Henderson said Shishkin's misdemeanours meant he was treated like "a criminal just let out of prison" ahead of Newbury, but he was confident he would not repeat his refusal in the Gold Cup.

He added: "He'd have been first or second in the King George and I honestly think he'd have won it. It was a hell of a performance for his first run of the season and as good a trial as you would've seen. Then he did that at Newbury and I think we come into it on a really good stride. He came out of Newbury really well and I'd say he's never looked so well."

Henderson has called upon the experience of 20-time champion jockey Sir Anthony McCoy in Jonbon's quest to reverse last season's Arkle form with the Mullins-trained El Fabiolo in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase. The eight-year-old was five and a half lengths behind El Fabiolo last season and suffered a shock defeat to Elixir De Nutz in the rescheduled Clarence House Chase in his warm-up for Cheltenham.

"He's in very good form, he schooled over ten fences on Thursday and was great," added the Lambourn trainer. "AP said he was really good and he'd love to ride him himself, of all the horses around I know that's the horse he'd love to ride. He'd suit Jonbon, anyone can ride him but he does take bit of knowing. He tests you. AP has watched him school as well hundreds of times. 

"They're going to go some gallop, which would suit us. Edwardstone looked bloody good at Newbury and that's not a bad thing as we may have had to make the running. Jonbon had a bit of a harder race than you thought, from a betting angle, at Cheltenham but until he made a mistake down the back he'd done everything nicely."

Constitution Hill: reported in excellent shape for Champion Hurdle defenceCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Mullins, the festival's leading trainer, completed a whitewash of the Grade 1s at Leopardstown when State Man breezed to victory in the Irish Champion Hurdle but that victory – which was officially his best yet according to Racing Post Ratings – is not concerning Henderson as he readies Constitution Hill for his Unibet Champion Hurdle defence.

While layers favour the Mullins-trained El Fabiolo in the Champion Chase and Galopin Des Champs in the Gold Cup, Constitution Hill is as short as 1-4 to score on the opening day of the meeting again.

The seven-time Grade 1 winner missed his intended prep run on Trials day and Henderson said he will require a racecourse gallop next week, although he reported the unbeaten hurdler had produced an "exceptional" piece of work last Saturday.

Henderson, speaking at a Jockey Club-organised press event said: "Constitution Hill is just the ultimate professional. You can do anything with him, it doesn't matter how fast they go – if they want to go quick, fine, if they want to go slow then we might go on."

"It's not called the Dublin Racing Festival, it's called the Willie Mullins racing festival! I don't know what they'll do, but I thought State Man looked the same horse to me. 

"He's a very good horse, there's no doubt about that, and he gets the job done but we've beaten him once so I think we can beat him again. He only beat First Street a length and a quarter in the County Hurdle and we were giving him weight. We know where he is."

Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup (3.30 Cheltenham, March 15)

Paddy Power (non-runner no bet): 5-6 Galopin Des Champs, 4 Fastorslow, 13-2 Shishkin, 9 Gerri Colombe, 12 L'Homme Presse, 14 Bravemansgame, Hewick, 16 bar

Unibet Champion Hurdle (3.30 Cheltenham, March 12)

Coral (non-runner no bet): 1-4 Constitution Hill, 5-2 State Man, 4 Lossiemouth, 16 Irish Point, 20 Not So Sleepy, 25 bar

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