A winner of a four-year-old maiden at Lingstown in 2018 for handler Virginia Considine, Shishkin took the opener of the Cheltenham Festival, the Supreme Novices' Hurdle to prevail by a head in what was a nail-biting finish.
The son of Sholokhov won his four-year-old maiden at Lingstown for Virginia Considine, before being bought by Highflyer Bloodstock at the Cheltenham December Sale at Tattersalls Cheltenham for a sum of £170,000.
One of the leading contenders coming into the Grade 1 Cheltenham contest, Nico de Boinville who was carrying the familiar colours of owner Joe Donnelly, settled the exciting prospect in mid-division.
The pair began to take closer order as they came towards the turn in to the straight, before de Boinville got animated in the saddle.
It looked as if Abacadabras was travelling the best coming up the hill, but Henderson's charge was able to dig deep from the back of the last, showing a great attitude to get up in the shadows of the post by a head.
Fellow four-year-old maiden winners Chantry House finished third, with Asterion Forlonge in fourth.
"It wasn't a very nice experience, if I am honest. It was never ideal. These false starts aren't easy to handle; it's very hard to get a position exactly where you want to be. But then we got a nice position and then going down to that downhill hurdle he's just had a grab at it and I've landed on all fours, really," said the winning rider.
"From then on down the back it is really hard work - I'd say it is almost on the heavy side. It rode like that on him, anyway. It was a very rough race. I got shuffled back; I got switched out wide just to try to get him travelling, give him a bit of light and a bit of comfort in himself. Then the horse fell in front of me and nearly knocked me over. Then it was just a case of trying to pick up the pieces.
"Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. It just shows what a fantastic horse this is going forward. He has got so much ability. He is so talented. He has tremendous gears and got out of an awful lot of trouble. Wherever he goes next season, it might be that we've found another really good one.
"That was his first time in a big field like that and in this ground as well. It was just a case of finding where and when you could travel. I pulled him out down the hill and it has taken a bit of light to get him come on the bridle again, and then he has taken me into the straight. It was a very good race and I think plenty will come out of it. It thought that was a super run, considering, and that he showed a bit of superstar quality.
"Everything conspired against him today, but he managed to find a way, and that's what good horses tend to do. They get themselves out of a hole, and they get their jockey looking a bit better than they might do otherwise.
"If I'm honest, I think with another summer's grass Shishkin will grow another hand and fill out as well, so it's similar to how Altior was. I'm not going to say he is like Altior, but they make that decision for you over the summer. Come September I expect to see a fuller horse, because he's still quite raw."
Of the fourth Asterion Forlonge, Willie Mullins said: "Considering how much ground he lost jumping we were happy to finish in the first four. He has stayed on well really."
Barry Geraghty was also happy with performance of Tattersalls Farm winner Chantry House, as he said: "It was a great run and he kept going really well, but the winner was really good. I missed the flight at the top of the hill but that didn't really make a difference."
Fellow four-year-old maiden winners Chantry House finished third, with Asterion Forlonge in fourth.
"It wasn't a very nice experience, if I am honest. It was never ideal. These false starts aren't easy to handle; it's very hard to get a position exactly where you want to be. But then we got a nice position and then going down to that downhill hurdle he's just had a grab at it and I've landed on all fours, really," said the winning rider.
"From then on down the back it is really hard work - I'd say it is almost on the heavy side. It rode like that on him, anyway. It was a very rough race. I got shuffled back; I got switched out wide just to try to get him travelling, give him a bit of light and a bit of comfort in himself. Then the horse fell in front of me and nearly knocked me over. Then it was just a case of trying to pick up the pieces.
"Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. It just shows what a fantastic horse this is going forward. He has got so much ability. He is so talented. He has tremendous gears and got out of an awful lot of trouble. Wherever he goes next season, it might be that we've found another really good one.
"That was his first time in a big field like that and in this ground as well. It was just a case of finding where and when you could travel. I pulled him out down the hill and it has taken a bit of light to get him come on the bridle again, and then he has taken me into the straight. It was a very good race and I think plenty will come out of it. It thought that was a super run, considering, and that he showed a bit of superstar quality.
"Everything conspired against him today, but he managed to find a way, and that's what good horses tend to do. They get themselves out of a hole, and they get their jockey looking a bit better than they might do otherwise.
"If I'm honest, I think with another summer's grass Shishkin will grow another hand and fill out as well, so it's similar to how Altior was. I'm not going to say he is like Altior, but they make that decision for you over the summer. Come September I expect to see a fuller horse, because he's still quite raw."
Of the fourth Asterion Forlonge, Willie Mullins said: "Considering how much ground he lost jumping we were happy to finish in the first four. He has stayed on well really."
Barry Geraghty was also happy with performance of Tattersalls Farm winner Chantry House, as he said: "It was a great run and he kept going really well, but the winner was really good. I missed the flight at the top of the hill but that didn't really make a difference."
