Talking Horses: Shishkin’s flaws and foibles only added to his appeal

One of the most talented and engagingly quirky chasers of recent years died on Sunday in a tragic stable accident

There was a keen and widely shared sense of loss among racing fans on social media on Sunday evening as news emerged that Nicky Henderson’s Shishkin, one of the most talented and engagingly quirky chasers of recent years, had died after fracturing a hind leg having become cast in his box at Henderson’s yard in Lambourn.

It was a hugely unfortunate conclusion to a storied career in which the hero’s flaws and foibles only added to his appeal.

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