Altior closes in on win record
ALTIOR took a step closer to toppling Big Buck’s record of 18 successive victories over jumps when extending his winning sequence to 17 at Ascot yesterday.
With only two rivals, defeat was never on the cards in the Clarence House Chase as the nine-year-old was not asked to come out of second gear by Nico De Boinville.
The only blemish in his performance was the gelding’s tendency to jump out to the left at a couple of his fences but this was not a concern for his trainer and jockey.
“Jumping left-handed is the sort of thing you see horses do around here,” said Henderson (inset below). “That was great, he’s had a nice time, jumped well and done his own thing out in front.
“He was probably just idling out in front. Yes, he did drift to his left a couple of times, but it’s not his natural trait to do that and it’ll be left-handed next time anyway!”
That will be in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham in the March, the prize he captured last year.
“What he’s done has become quite a record to defend,” said Henderson. “We hope it will never end but we all know it will as we’re not going to retire him.
“We were very lucky to have one horse as good in Sprinter Sacre,” said Henderson. “The amazing thing is that literally within six months of him going, this thing (Altior) appeared. Nobody can be as lucky we are to have experienced two horses like that.”
Despite Henderson being slightly concerned about the current health of his horses, he showed that the ones he is running are in rude health.
The champion trainer made it four winners – Mister Fisher, Altior, Downtown Getaway and Before Midnight – from five runners yesterday.