3 minute read

Altior showed he has lost none of his brilliant ability with a comfortable comeback victory in the Betfair Exchange Chase at Newbury.

Unbeaten in 11 previous starts over jumps and a dual Cheltenham Festival winner having landed the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and the Arkle Trophy in the last two seasons, Nicky Henderson's stable star was making a belated start to the campaign after undergoing a wind operation.

Despite his absence, he was the 1-3 favourite to claim a Grade Two contest better known as the Game Spirit for the second successive year, and those who took the cramped odds will have had few concerns for the duration of the extended two-mile journey.

The Paul Nicholls-trained Politologue, the star of the division this season in Altior's absence after landing the Haldon Gold Cup, Tingle Creek and the Desert Orchid Chase, was soon bowling along in front, with Nico de Boinville happy to sit in behind aboard Altior.

Politologue's rider Sam Twiston-Davies did his best to run the finish out of his main rival, kicking for home from the final bend, but Altior's class shone through as he coasted by after the final fence to score readily.

Politologue was a clear second, while Valdez finished last of the three runners after showing some promise on his first competitive appearance in over three years.

De Boinville told ITV Racing: "He felt fantastic there. That ground would be softer than ideal, but he's handled it well and I couldn't hear any noises or anything like that.

"It was a big effort from the yard to get him back for today. It's probably come a bit earlier than we wanted, so all credit to the guv'nor (Henderson) and Toby Lawes, who rides him every day at home.

"We knew coming in here that he was very fresh and very well and we haven't been able to do much because the ground has been so frosty this week, but he was very good there."

Henderson said: "It was going to be tactical and I didn't know who was going to do what, but that was exactly what we wanted.

"He has got so much pace, this horse, I was fairly confident if he could get to the second-last upsides on the bridle, it would be hard for a horse to go with him from there.

"He has to improve a lot. He's had a nice time. The timing was good, he hasn't had a hard race, he hasn't even had his ground and he's beaten a good horse.

"You'd have to say that was perfection, from my point of view."

Henderson is looking forward to seeing Altior bid for Queen Mother Champion Chase glory at Cheltenham next month.

He is now odds-on across the board to claim the two-mile chasing crown and his third Festival success.

The Seven Barrows handler added: "What we knew is that he was in fantastic form. He has had three bits of work and he never got as far as galloping before we stopped (for the breathing operation), so he has actually had three bits of work since Sandown in April.

"He has so many gears. He just has class, it is just pure class and he is very good.

"The danger is that his work is so easy. We are lucky we have got a wonderful bunch of horses, but we haven't got much that can go with him. You can't go sacrificing Buveur D'Air every day.

"There must be lots of improvement in him. His weight was good. He wasn't a million pounds heavier than he should be.

"If he was going to get beaten, today was the day. He will get beaten one day but he was more vulnerable today.

"Good horses are going to turn up at Cheltenham and take him on, but hopefully we can go there happy if all goes well between now and then."

Nicholls made no excuses for Politologue, saying: " He ran really well and was beat by a better horse on the day. I would say the winner will be hard to beat at Cheltenham.

"Of course he (Politologue) will improve, but the winner will improve so that cancels that out.

"The only thing is when he ran in the Tingle Creek and they went flat out and he got a good gallop, that suits him better than being in front. The faster they go, the better for him.

"I think whatever way we'd done it, we weren't going to beat the winner today. It will take a fair horse to beat him at Cheltenham.

"We will still go as lots can happen in racing and Cheltenham is a different day on different ground on a different track."