THEY never come back. Lots, and punters, will live by that rule. And if they do, they won’t be going near Shishkin today.

Except sometimes they do come back. Sprinter Sacre would be a good example. Same trainer, same distance category. He came back from a pretty serious heart condition to win a Champion Chase.

Back to the other side, Altior would be a good example, same trainer, same distance category. He arguably never came back from his slog with Cyrname in 1965 Chase.

Can Shishkin come back? It is just over a year since he powered up the run in to collar Energumene in the race of the season. Yet he seemed a shadow of his former self in the Tingle Creek last time, well held in third.

The answer for connections is a step up in trip for today’s Ascot Chase (3.35). But you suspect, the real answer is within Shishkin’s general wellbeing. Has the rare bone condition he suffered in the Champion Chase put paid to his superb ability, partially or fully, because there is a possibility that he might not be as good as he was, but still pretty good.

And a still pretty good Shishkin probably goes close to winning today. He was rated 177 this time 12 months ago - that’s 13lbs higher than Fakir D’oudairies, who is the table topper in this intermediate chase division with the unfortunate news of Allaho’s setback this week.

He is favourite for the Ryanair Chase but Joseph O’Brien would have been thinking about a title defence here from a long way out. It seems remarkable he is still only eight, the joint youngest in this field, but he remains a rock solid mid-160 horse,

In many ways, he is the opposite to Shishkin, you know what you’re going to get.

Paul Nicholls often knows what he’s going to get with his horses and he thinks Pic D’Orhy has a big chance today. Harry Cobden’s mount is three from three over fences and ran out a 16-length winner of the Silviniaco Conti Chase on his previous run to set up this return to Grade 1 company.

Despite the fact he beat 23 home in the Betfair Hurdle, the eight-year-old has been labelled a small-field, flat-track bully by some, who will be buoyed by the fact he faces just four rivals today.

Whatever happens, this race should shake up the Ryanair Chase market, in several ways. Most notably, a win for Shishkin will likely promote him to favouritism for that Cheltenham contest while keeping his owners Joe and Marie Donnelly from supplementing Haut En Coleurs, who has the chance to make his best impression in the Red Mills Chase at Gowran. It’s all to play for.

Doyle in the Mix for a big day at Gowran

GOWRAN Park is sold out tomorrow for the Red Mills-backed card today and one horse that is sure to be popular with the locals is Optional Mix, who takes on the Careys Cottage Cup Handicap Chase (4.37).

Trained by Eoin Doyle, whose Mooncoin base is in the south of the county, the seven-year-old mare has been in fine form this season, finishing in the top two on all six of her starts, with two wins in the sequence.

She returns to fences now off a 4lb higher mark than her hurdles assessment, but her previous chase run was a fine effort behind the useful Malina Girl at Fairyhouse.

“We’re hopeful of another big run,” Doyle told The Irish Field. “She came out of her previous race well and she seems to be in the same form she has been in most of the season.

“There is rain forecast so the ground should be okay for her and I think with Rob James taking 7lbs off her, it will give her a fair chance.”

Asked what has been the key to her this season, Doyle replied: “I’d say she is just a stronger mare. The one thing we might have done wrong with her is run her on summer ground, she seems to go better on soft so hopefully she gets that sort of surface here.

“It seems like there is going to be a big crowd which is great and hopefully we get a bit of luck.”

The two graded contests are likely to go to Willie Mullins. Sharjah might be a fading force, but the six-time Grade 1 winner faces an easier task in the Grade 3 Red Mills Trial Hurdle (2.17).

Speaking at declaration stage, assistant trainer and rider Patrick Mullins said: “We skipped the DRF with Sharjah as he doesn’t seem to run well there so this seems like a good opportunity for him.

“This is his first time to run below Grade 1 level over hurdles since 2018 so he should enjoy the drop in class. Obviously, he’s got all the penalties and I’d like to think he should be very hard to beat.”

The Grade 2 Red Mills Chase is a more intriguing affair with Haut En Coleurs looking to make amends for his last fence fall in the Kinloch Brae, and both Capodanno and Janidil making their seasonal debut for the champion trainer and owner J.P. McManus.