HENDO TUGS RUG FROM BUG CLAIMS
NICKY HENDERSON dispatched claims his Seven Barrows stable is “on bug alert” – with four winners from five Saturday runners.
And it was Altior’s Clarence House Chase cakewalk at Ascot that spearheaded the romp.
Sub-par blood tests caused the scratching from yesterday’s Haydock Park card of Brain Power, Angels Breath and Valtor.
But the rest of Henderson’s string is in rude health – and none more so than Altior, who justified odds of 1-10 to take his unbeaten record over obstacles to 17.
“If it’s 100 per cent, you run. If it’s not 100 per cent, you don’t,” said Henderson. “It wasn’t right to run Brain Power, Angels Breath, but we’ve had five runners and four have won.
“I don’t think anybody’s going to be too worried.”
Just two rivals – Fox Norton and Diego Du Charmil – faced Altior in the Matchbook-sponsored Grade 1 two-miler.
And, despite forfeiting ground by jumping to his left, Nico De Boinville’s mount came home an easy seven-length victor.
“He was wandering round like a goof in the fog,” added Henderson. “It’s just him being a bit bored.
“The plan was to come here. He’s had three quick races – we’ve done it that way round and come into Cheltenham fresh.” Altior is the 4-9 favourite to defend his Queen Mother Champion Chase crown at Cheltenham in March and equal the record spree of 18 enjoyed by Paul Nicholls’ Big Buck’s.
Henderson said another of his Cheltenham titleholders, dual Champion Hurdler Buveur D’air, will warm up for the National Hunt Festival in the Contenders Hurdle at Sandown in two weeks.
The trainer, who had his 100th success of the campaign as Downtown Getaway took the Ascot finale, had floated the notion of sending Buveur D’air straight to Cheltenham on March 12, but admitted: “He needs a run – otherwise I’ll have to gallop the pants off him!”