MAGNIFICENT Henderson is ready to put starlet Altior up against big guns in Clarence House
NICKY HENDERSON is leaving the Clarence House door open — even though it would mean star novice Altior taking on champions in Ascot’s big two-mile chase this month.
Un De Sceaux, Sire De Grugy and Dodging Bullets have all won top prizes, yet Henderson has such a high opinion of his sevenyear-old that he’s ready to pitch him in at the deep end after just three starts over fences.
That’s some compliment from Britain’s most successful Cheltenham Festival trainer and the man who orchestrated the career of recently-retired Sprinter Sacre, a two-mile specialist and formerly the world’s highestrated chaser.
“Sprinter was freakishly brilliant at his best so I wouldn’t dare to try to compare them,” said Henderson (right). “But there’s no doubt Altior is seriously talented and the world’s his oyster.
“You learn over the years not to be confident about anything at Cheltenham, but if I had a banker at the Festival last season he was the one and he didn’t let us down in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle.
“We could have aimed him at the Champion Hurdle this year but he’s made for chasing so we decided to send him straight over fences, with the Arkle as his main target.
“So far so good because he’s still unbeaten since switching hing from bumpers and he’ss learning with each race.
“He was so polished at Kempton over Christmas that we don’t need to go for another novice event t before Cheltenham. He’s come out of that race well, so I put him in the Clarence House in case he needed another run sooner than later.”
Henderson has another exciting novice in Buveur D’Air, a Grade 1 winner at Aintree after finishing third to his stablemate in the Supreme and unbeaten in two starts over fences. “I’d like to see if he’s as good over two and a half miles as it would give him an a alternative to clashing with Altior again,” said the trainer. “The Scilly Isles at Sa Sandown next month is theh obviousb race to try and if he performed well there the JLT could become his Festival target, although I’ve also got Whisper for that. “Davy Russell was really impressed with Whisper at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day and said he didn’t need any more experience before March.
“He was a high-class horse over hurdles and stayed three miles, so the RSA might be his other entry.
“That race would be on the agenda for Might Bite, who would have won the Feltham at Kempton on Boxing Day but for falling at the last.
“Thankfully he seems none the worse for it, though he’ll need a run before Cheltenham to ensure he’s got his confidence back.
“Overall, it’s just great to have so many good novice chasers.”