Who are the three top chasers of 2021 – 2022?

Not altogether surprisingly, the top three highest rated chasers of the 2021/22 season, according to Timeform, all contested the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the 2022 Cheltenham Festival. They were, in ratings order, Shishkin (181), Energumene (180) and Chacun Pour Soi (179).

A little more surprising, perhaps, is the fact that, despite their lofty ratings, two of the three failed to finish the two-mile chasing championship race. The 10-year-old Chacun Pour Soi, who was sent off 8/1 third favourite behind Shishkin, at 5/6, and stable companion Energumene, at 5/2, still held a narrow lead when making a mistake and unseating jockey Patrick Mullins five fences from home. Shishkin, though, was never travelling or jumping well and was pulled up quickly after the eighth fence, leaving Energumene to beat his remaining rivals, readily, by 8½ lengths.

Shishkin had arrived at Cheltenham unbeaten in all 11 completed starts under Rules, including the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle in 2020 and the Arkle Challenge Trophy in 2021. On his most recent start, he had beaten Energumene, albeit by just a length, in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot in January so, despite facing what trainer Nicky Henderson called ‘the biggest test of his life’, he looked a worthy favourite beforehand.

Henderson initially described the lacklustre performance as ‘purely ground related’, but later revealed that Shishkin was suffering from a ‘pretty rare bone condition’, so what the future holds for the 8-year-old remains to be seen. Meanwhile, fellow 8-year-old Energumene further enhanced his reputation by winning the Champion Chase at Punchestown in April, beating Chacun Pour Soi by 8½ lengths in the process. He has been beaten just once, by Shishkin, over fences and, according to trainer Willie Mullins, ‘… just seems to be improving with racing.’