Shishkin slip allows Hewick to grab crown in pulsating King George

Henderson's luckless chaser throws away golden chance in gripping Christmas thriller

- Greg Wood 

The rat-a-tat sequence of three Grade One races at Kempton Park on Boxing Day has rarely, if ever, seen a combination of high quality and higher drama to match the action that unfolded over the course of little more than an hour here yesterday, and the King George VI Chase won by Hewick was, appropriately, the most gripping of all.

From the first stride, when the quirky Shishkin jumped away with the field, to the final, booming echoes of trainer Shark Hanlon's celebrations in the winner's enclosure, this was a race, and an experience, that few in the crowd of just under 12,000 are ever likely to forget. The first gasps rose from the stand early on the first circuit as Frodon and Bryony Frost, the winners three years ago, flew several fences down the back from just inside the wings. Shishkin and Nico de Boinville then joined them for much of the next mile and a half, matching strides and jumps until Frodon started to tire with around a mile to run.

Shishkin was still in front as they turned for home with three to jump and the hum from the stands started to turn into a roar. Allaho, the favourite, and Bravemansgame, were in close pursuit and the "big three" in the betting seemed to be going clear and preparing to slug it out to the line.