Nicky’s Altior blow
Star will miss King George
TRAINER Nicky Henderson has all but ruled Altior out of the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
The Lambourn trainer, however, could still experiment running the champion two- mile chaser over longer distances.
The three-mile King George had been the first major seasonal target for Altior, but his 19-race unbeaten run was ended when beaten by Cyrname at Ascot last month and Henderson said the evidence of a work-out yesterday on his gallops suggested the nine-year-old had not got over those exertions.
Henderson said: ‘It was not that he didn’t work well. He was very satisfactory. Nico ( De Boinville) just said he felt a little bit flat and wasn’t showing his normal mojo.
‘If he suddenly finds his wings, who knows? But, for the moment, the King George i s extremely unlikely.
‘It is not what we were hoping for. In our heart of hearts we really wanted to run in the King George. I’m gutted, so is owner Pat Pugh and Nico.
‘Altior was very tired at Ascot. It was a tough race. We knew it would be and that it would be a big question to get him back. We do not want to put him into another fierce battle because we might undo everything.’
News that Altior is to sidestep the King George prompted Coral to trim the price of Cyrname, the Paul Nicholls- t r ai ned King George favourite, to 15-8.
Where Altior goes next is open to debate but a good option may be the new £60,000 Grade Two Silvianaco Conti Chase over two- and- a- half miles at Kempton on January 11. Reverting to his speciality of picking up big two-mile chases will be hard to resist and there has even been talk of switching back to hurdles for the Champion Hurdle.
That looks a very open contest, with Altior’s stablemate and dual Champion Hurdle winner, Buveur D’Air, unlikely to run again this season after a piece of wood punctured his hoof in defeat in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, and last year’s Champion Hurdle winner Espoir D’Allen having died.
Henderson still has strength in numbers in this division, especially after his James Bowen-ridden Call Me Lord landed yesterday’s Grade
Two International Hurdle at Cheltenham by a neck from Ballyandy.
Henderson, who has moved into the lead in the trainers’ title race and was also successful with Mister Fisher and Dame De Compagnie at Cheltenham, was equally pleased with the effort of Triumph Hurdle winner Pentland Hills, who jumped slickly and was in with a chance at the last flight only to tire on his comeback run and fade into fifth.
His biggest Champion Hurdle hopes seem to be pinned on Fusil Raffles, who heads to the Christmas Hurdle at Kemp ton probably accompanied by stable mates Epatante and last year’s winner Verdana Blue.