Only Altior can hit heights at Festival
MAGNIFICENT Altior did what everyone expected with an easy seven-length win in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot on Saturday. The longest odds about him winning the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham for a second time, and extending his unbeaten sequence over jumps to a record-equalling 18 races, are 1-2. And most bookmakers go even shorter. For me, Altior was the only probable Cheltenham Festival winner running this weekend. His chief two-mile chaser opposition will be supplied by Willie Mullins, whose hopes are Min, Footpad and Un De Sceaux. The only one of that trio Altior has not already put in his place is Footpad. He was last season’s outstanding two-mile novice chaser but his two runs this year have not gone to plan, with a fall and a second. While Altior has glided through his three races this season, the opposition has struggled to make a case.
NICKY HENDERSON, Altior’s trainer, also won on Saturday with two decent novice hurdlers, but Downtown Getaway will have to brush up his jumping to make a mark in Cheltenham’s three-mile Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle. Mister Fisher landed Haydock’s rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle and is a Supreme contender, but I’d want to know what ground he will face before backing him.
BEN PAULING’S Global Citizen landed Haydock’s Champion Hurdle trial well but opposition will be much tougher in the real thing, where he might nick a minor place at best.
CYRNAME was very impressive when winning the bet365 Handicap Chase at Ascot under top weight. He will return next month for the Ascot Chase. The Paul Nicholls stable feel he has to race right-handed and he has not even been given an entry at left-hand Cheltenham.