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It may not yet have assumed the gravitas or delivered the sporting drama of Ali and Foreman, or Borg versus McEnroe, but Saturday's meeting of Shishkin (Ascot, 3.35) and Energumene has certainly caught the imagination of racing fans.
So often starved of enthralling head-to-head clashes outside of the major spring festivals, National Hunt devotees will at last be treated to a humdinger of a renewal of the SBK Clarence House Chase with two of chasing’s heavyweights doing battle.
There may only be four going to post for today’s feature but the presence of last year’s winner, First Flow, adds extra spice to a contest which does not require hyping.
Shishkin will race in the 3.35 at Ascot in an much-anticipated showdown against Energumene
While many will see this as a pre-cursor to the Cheltenham Festival, with Nicky Henderson and Willie Mullins — the trainers of the top two in today’s big race — each trying to strike an early blow for team morale, it is important to treat these prestigious Grade One races as exactly that.
Henderson and Mullins look set for an enthralling duel in the Supreme Novices Hurdle in two months’ time, given the hurdling ammunition at their disposal.
