Comeback Tior is just perfection
HENDO HAILS RETURNING CHAMPION
ALTIOR was simply perfect on his return to action at Newbury — and is now the 4-6 favourite for Cheltenham’s Queen Mother Champion Chase next month.
Punters had to wait until yesterday’s Betfair Exchange (Game Spirit) Chase to see Nicky Henderson’s star defend his unbeaten record over obstacles after his comeback was delayed by surgery to his larynx in December.
And Nico de Boinville’s mount (right) did so in style, collaring Tingle Creek winner Politologue for a four-length victory in the Grade 2 contest he had won 12 months before.
“If you’d dreamed up how we were going through that today, you’d have said that was perfection,” smiled Henderson yesterday. “You couldn’t have it better. It was exactly what we wanted.
“I’ve always said if he was going to get beaten, today was the day. He was more vulnerable here than he was ever going to be.
“Good horses are going to turn up in Cheltenham, and they’re going to take him on, but hopefully we can go there happy with where we are now.”
De Boinville added: “The conditions wouldn’t have suited but he has gone through it well in the end.
“He felt really good, I didn’t hear any wind noises or anything, so we’re back on track.”
Politologue’s owner John Hales said of the winner: “They are two super horses, but Altior is exceptional, so we’ve got no complaints.”
Native River is 5-1 second favourite to improve on his 2017 Cheltenham Gold Cup third by two placings after he came off the sidelines to repeat last year’s success in the Betfair Denman Chase.
A ligament issue had kept the chestnut away from the course for 330 days, but Richard Johnson’s partner looked as good as ever in galloping away from Cloudy Dream and Saphir Du Rheu to score by 12 lengths.
“That’s absolutely what we wanted,” said Native River’s handler Colin Tizzard.
Amy Murphy’s burgeoning career accrued another big prize when Kalashnikov landed the Betfair Hurdle and earned an 8-1 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle quote.