Any comments from nicky

think he will be back in the champion chase ,although he wasnt beaten far and it was by a very good un who he wont face at the festival , however a decent looking  crop of 2nd season chasers some of who may have targeted other festival races will be waiting now that aura of invincibility has been lowered and he will have to be at least as good as he has been to win the race again .  amazed hendo still talking king george !

going by hendo post race a rematch with the winner is on the cards at some point possibly the kg

i my pocket would like to see him ryanaire  , where do they go ?  chelt  suits him well and he got yesterdays trip well enough just couldnt match what looks an exceptional and fast improving horse in cyrname over that trip ,hendo alludes that altior needed the race and king george still on his mind, thing is he didnt scream 3 miles to me and the winner a lot stronger at the finish and breeding suggests 3 m will be within cyrnames compasss so hard to see him turning it round and thats without the proven 3 milers lining up .

Wouldn't fancy either of them in the KG

sadly I suspect you are right Budd. All the evidence that we currently have to me suggests the Ryanair is the most suitable race for him at this stage in his career. The fact that appears to be the least likely of 3 possible festival outcomes speaks volumes. I would rather pull all of my finger nails out than start up another Ryanair debate but I just think it’s sad.

I dont think Hendo would be concerned re running against Cyrname at Cheltenham.

Actually when you consider that Nico said that Altior needs to step up,and Hendo seems to agree,then failing to stay well in the KG should really see him in the Ryanair using logic.

I can see WM breaking his duck in the race this year

In my opinion all form lines point to Chacun Pour Soi. Hammered Defi last year and I see no reason there will be any difference if they meet again.

Forty

cilaos emery did it well by all accounts ! what a race we have in prospect if even the top half a dozen in the betting turn up ,will surely be race of the festival imagine this lot turning up altior,chacan pour soir ,defi de seul,cilaos emery ,le richeborge ,scau royal ,douvan,dynamite dollars ,throw in the arkle winner and we have a race and a half , unlikely they will all turn up but ya can dream .

could be altior has been beating an average lot the last 3 or so seasons, min apart who of that lot he has beat over 2 miles  would be considered top class ? true the new lot may not also prove to be top class but improvement likely .

I think Altior has been beating an average lot to be honest, Douvan would have had him in trouble had he not fallen and generally when Altior has hit his flat spot there had been nothing there to take the race away from him at that point, his stamina then kicked in against inferior horses.

It always made me laugh when some compared him to Sprinter, the truth is that SS would have demolished Altior as he went through his flat spot and the race would have been over. Hendo confuses me when he is at pains to stress just how quick he is and how heart stopping he is to see on the gallops, he looked plain slow at Ascot the other day, I don't see how dropping him back in trip will help him.

That being said, the opposition over 2 miles have their own questions to answer, Chacun could be that classy traveller that just kills them but he has it all to answer and I'd want him to show me the Punchestown run again before I believe in him.

I've been more put off DDS after the week end, I'm not sure about his jumping over 2 miles and I hate the fact that he'll also have to be delivered just right and there would also a big enough question about him even running in the race for me, there's enough against him, 5/1 now is horrible.

The two at the prices are Le Richebourg and Footpad. 20's and 25's.

Le Richebourg was the clear leading novice last year before injury ruled him out of the festival, he's the forgotten horse but is likely to be back at Xmas or just after, if all goes well for him and he progresses on from where he left off I don't see how DDS gets shunted to the Ryanair.

I'd like Footpad in either the CC or Ryanair, last year was a clear write off but he looked back to form with that powerful display on his comeback, I remain convinced that his performances as a novice mark him down as real top class on his day despite the fact you could knock the form, you are getting the prices now with both these two horses.

20's and 25's against the field looks more than fair to me.

Anyone would think this so called flat spot went on for any length of time!! He just runs a bit lazily and the jockey has to shake him up,and when he does it’s race winning time......again and again!! And by the way....Douvan not in the same league as Altior at their best in my humble opinion.
And do we really need to pooh pooh opposition just to have a pop at a great champion???

Yes it was some performance(along with many others) and that would be the same Un De Sceaux that demolished Douvan end of last season.

I see this quite differently Duffy. Of course on official ratings Altior is a fair bit below both mm and ss but I think that doesn’t tell the full picture. I have never seen a horse quicken up the Cheltenham incline (let’s face it it’s not a hill) like Altior. His jockey trusts his finishing kick implicitly so knows there is absolutely no point taking unnecessary risks and trying to win his race too early. He keeps his powder dry and then leashes his electric finishing kick. Why wouldn’t you ride the horse this way it a) lessens the risk of making race ending errors and b) increases the longevity of the horse as it minimises the chance of having hard races.i absolutely do not see it that he outstays his opposition, he simply outspeeds them at the end of the race. This way of riding the horse will never result in flashy ratings but results in win after win and guess what that’s exactly what has happened. I believe that the rider would and could adjust his game plan if faced with better opposition and I simply think you would see him sacrifice a little of that electric kick by using a little more petrol up to stay in touch with a better class horse. We of course will never know but I think it a little harsh not to  credit this horse as a quick horse with finishing kick as his chief weapon. I woul loved to have seen whether he could have been close enough to ss or mm coming to the last because imo they would need a good few lengths to see him off up the incline. I for one think of three of them as great and certainly wouldn’t expect ss to come out anywhere near 13 pound superior in a head to head.

All that said I think Altior is not quite as good as he was and I think the altior of two years ago would comfortably beat this years model. Just a view. I just hope that I’d he does run in the cc and disappoint that it doesn’t reflect on his legacy and how he is seen in the all time pecking order.

Very fair Milton, I believe though that SS would force Altior out of his comfort zone and would ask him to use himself earlier than he would like, this would IMO have an effect on him come the end. Of course Altior may well be able to just up his game and travel through that period and still be able to finish the way he did, but at some point a certain level of quality opposition would be able to power through the race to a degree where it would compromise Altior and the way he goes, so what's the tipping point? I think that SS and MM would have provided that tipping point.

It hasn't helped Altior that he has run against sub standard fields, the horses above won in better renewals of the race.

Class

Clarence House tomorrow.
If UDS beats DDS then he has to be in the mix for the Champion Chase.
Without Altior I think hes the next best if he don't get beat tomorrow.
Chucked a few bob on him on here at around 23.

Fair enough !!

Bless him though,thought he put on a great exhibition of jumping from the front,main reason why I have loved this horse.
I will miss him when he retires.

Would have been interesting if he had jumped the 2nd last as well as Defi did.
Like Sandown he was closing at the end.
Yeh,although he jumped well till the 2nd last,he's probably as good as that at the age of 12.