RESULTS
can’t change gear in that ground – but he did!
“We’ve always ‘ummed’ and ‘aahhed’ about soft ground – today was proper, proper hard work. Ruby set a gallop – we knew he was going to – and he made it as tough as he could.
“But this is an amazing horse – you couldn’t make it too tough for him.
“That’s as good a performance as he’s ever done, because it’s first time out, a proper gallop - a proper race.”
The sole blemish on an otherwise flawless display was a mistake at the second fence, and De Boinville added: “He has probably only jumped 10 fences before coming here, so it maybe just woke him up a bit.
“What I liked was when we went to the downhill fence, he danced over it. He felt absolutely fantastic. Once he gets to something’s girths, away he goes – like great champions do.”
Altior still holds an entry in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, but his trainer smiled: “We left him in it - goodness only knows why! I can’t see him staying three miles. There’s only one race we want, and that’s the Queen Mother.”
Lalor was pushed out to 8-1 ( from 4-1) for Cheltenham’s Arkle Trophy after his third at 8-11 for the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices’ Chase, won by Dynamite Dollars.