Henderson expecting Altior return to form

Trainer Nicky Henderson says he still feels good about Altior’s chances at the Cheltenham Festival as he gets set to make his return at Newbury in February.

The reigning Champion Chaser hasn’t been seen in action since suffering his first career loss back in November when coming home second behind Cyrname in the Christy 1965 Chase at Ascot.

Henderson postponed a run over the festive period at Kempton in the aftermath, claiming the nine-year-old’s defeat to Paul Nicholls’ runner had taken a lot out of his top asset.

However, Altior looked in fine fettle when schooling at Henderson’s Seven Barrows yard on Thursday morning and is now scheduled to have his Cheltenham warm-up at Newbury in the Game Spirit Chase on February 8 before moving on to Prestbury Park.

“The plan is Newbury a week on Saturday but it’s been a frustrating time. We said we’d try him over a distance and it was his first run of the season,” Henderson told Newbury Today.

“He was where he would normally be for his first race but the other horse was very fit and was on his best trip at his best track.

“It takes some time to get over certain races and it has taken Altior some time to get over his race at Ascot.”

Looking ahead to Cheltenham and Altior’s chances of a third Champion Chase crown, he added: “With our big boys, things have been good, but we have been a bit unlucky really with Buveur D’Air being out for the year, Angels Breath being out for the year and Altior having a bit of a flop start.

“We have to get him [Altior] back into the fray but we still have a lot of options because we still have five in the Champion Hurdle who have realistic chances of winning.”

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