Henderson upbeat despite late injury scare for Altior
Chaser found to be lame but trainer believes he can still take chance in the Champion Chase
Altior, the odds-on favourite for tomorrow’s feature event at Cheltenham, the Betway Champion Chase, was the subject of an 11thhour injury scare yesterday when he was found to be lame at Nicky Henderson’s Lambourn yard. The source was found to be pus in his near-fore (front left) foot.
After exercising in the water treadmill yesterday, instead of doing two routine canters that had been planned, connections are confident he will be able to resume cantering today and, provided that he is sound again, the late interruption should make no difference to his performance tomorrow.
The appearance of last year’s Arkle winner has been one of the key attractions of this Cheltenham Festival week. Henderson, who has already had to rule Top Notch and Triumph Hurdle hope We Have A Dream out of the meeting this year, said: “Altior was unfortunately lame this morning in his near fore leg and we have located some pus in the frog [of his foot].
“He was still able to exercise in the water treadmill this morning, which he does regularly anyway, and a poultice will now be applied and left on overnight to draw out the pus. Hopefully the shoe will be replaced in the morning. Both our vet and our farrier are working very hard and are more than hopeful he will even be able to canter tomorrow [Tuesday] and therefore confident he will be clear to race on Wednesday.”
With so much mud and wet weather prevailing in recent weeks horses getting sore feet is an occupational hazard for trainers.
However, with all his galloping done, in theory, the hiccup should have a more adverse effect on the trainer’s stress levels than it does Altior himself. If necessary, any residual soreness can be cushioned by a leather pad fitted between the racing plate and the horse’s foot.
This season has not been all plain sailing for Altior, who is attempting to win at the meeting for the third year in succession having won the 2016 Supreme Novices Hurdle.
At the end of November a wind problem was detected shortly before he was due to run in the Tingle Creek Chase. He was given a minor wind operation to correct this but Henderson managed to get him back in a good enough trim to record an impressive warm-up victory in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury.
Nine have been declared at the 48-hour stage for the Champion Chase and, after a bit of will-hewon’t-he, Douvan, who fractured a pelvis when odds-on for the race 12 months ago, will line up with Min, who is also owned by Rich Ricci and trained by Willie Mullins, rather than going for the Ryanair Chase on Thursday.
Interestingly, if the owner and trainer were in two minds about Douvan’s target, it appears Ruby Walsh was more decisive and had the casting vote.
Mullins and Walsh, so many times the scourge of bookmakers at the meeting, have the layers running scared again. They team up through two short-priced favourites in Getabird (1.30) and Footpad (2.10) and the result of those races could set the tone for the day.