Perfect return sets Altior up for Festival

ALTIOR is odds-on favourite for the Queen Mother Champion Chase after a winning comeback described as ‘perfection’ by trainer Nicky Henderson.

Newbury’s Betfair Super Saturday meeting also featured a successful return for Colin Tizzard-trained Gold Cup hope Native River in the Denman Chase and victory in the Betfair Hurdle for Kalashnikov, the 8-1 co-favourite trained by Amy Murphy. But it was the effort of Altior in the Game Spirit Chase which was the most striking.

With his season disrupted by needing a breathing operation, 1-3 favourite Altior had not run since April and Henderson feared the gelding’s unbeaten record over obstacles might be vulnerable.

But on ground softer than he prefers, Nico De Boinville’s mount toyed with runner-up Politologue, the Paul Nicholls-trained Tingle Creek Chase winner who is third favourite for the Champion Chase, as he pulled four lengths clear.

Henderson, who admitted he had been nervous before the race, said: ‘If you could have dreamed what could have happened that would just about have been it. That was perfection. He has so many gears and he has class. Pure class.

‘If he was going to get beaten, today was the day. He was more vulnerable than he is ever going to be.

‘Good horses are still going to turn up at Cheltenham and take him on but we can now go there happy.’

The Newbury test showed that work on Altior’s breathing has been a success.

Henderson added: ‘He has had three bits of work since Sandown in April. The danger is his work is so easy. We have some good horses but haven’t much that can go with him. There must be a lot of improvement in him.’