Christy 1965 Chase (Grade 2) (Class 1) - Ascot 23/11/19

Probably a race to watch but if pressed I would side with Cyrname.

Just hope they both come back safe and sound given that no prisoners will be taken.

Total mismatch , the rating Cyrname was given was  just the latest over reaction to one run.

i'd be concerned cyrname has never won off of a long absence which presents itself here. i'd expect him to come on for the run, so make altior a solid option, not that i'm a taker of the odds. a race to enjoy for me but if cyrname can prove his high rating, that would be something for me, as still struggling like the above poster to believe his achievements. saturday still won't solve the puzzle for me as his form off a lay off very average imo

Could resemble the "match" between Buveur D'Air and Samcro in the Fighting Fifth last season. Let's hope it's truly competitive.

Altior for me as he's always good fto, Cyrname never is, but it might be diferent this season as I imagine Nicholls will have him wound up given what's at stake. I think the soft groud will also be in Altiors favour. Not a betting race but looking forward to it.

After Happy Diva's win last Saturday one can argue that Cyrname has two pieces of form that give him a chance of beating Altior .
If I had to bet I would be on the Ditcheat runner .

I'll continue cheering for Altior even in the God Cup if his winning runs continues that far. Altior and Boinville for me on saturday.

Sounds like 3 runners on Saturday.
Can only be a tactical race now , Cyrname will have to take it on to test Altior.

Altior may well not be the best two miler ever but.....I think he is the strongest finisher of them all.
The only concern is the jumping out left we saw , was it at Sandown ?

Looking forward to this.

Altior jumping right: Was he not bored out on his own in that race? I thought Hendo alluded to that, and he was not duly concerned. Let's hope it's a real match (unlike Scurlogue Champ vs Ballyregan Bob) even with just 3 runners if Top Notch and Keeper Hill are scratched.

we all know horses can improve,Cyrname
though,what happened when he was beatean
4 times off 150?.He aint run that many
times over fences,granted,but that's some
improvement if the ratings are right.

Altior jumped out to his right at Sandown and had done so even more markedly at Ascot on his previous run right handed (check out the Ascot run again - https://www.sportinglife.com/racing/results/2019-01-19/ascot/507397/matchboo... ).

If Henderson is right and this was due to the front running in those races, and Altior jumps straight enough on Saturday, I can see him winning fairly comfortably. But if it happens again he's going to have to be some horse to reel Cyrname in.

https://www.sportinglife.com/racing/results/2019-01-19/ascot/507397/matchboo...

Race

https://www.sportinglife.com/racing/results/2019-01-19/ascot/507397/
matchbook-clarence-house-chase-grade-1

No hyperlinking on here?

race to watch for me but nicholls hosses not pulling up trees atm ,i remember a good few years back hendo saying of altior  "you wouldnt want to run him over further " ................he may improve for the trip but cyrname will  test any stamina doubts ,btw has anyone got any stats on the sire high chapperal and the dam of altiors offsprings stamina wise ?

well now he's proven off a lay off. Proper tool

Winner was good there, didn't look like getting beat at any time. Back to 2miles for Altior?

back to the drawing board, could be hard to place now, we will see i wouldn't bother with kempton but what do they do

10/1 for KG now. Given that race looks red hot, I wouldnt be surprised of they duck it, I'd love him to turn up though.

Race was overhyped.
I’d still take Clan Des Obeaux or Lost In Translation over Cyrname.

Going to be a hard decision which one to ride.
Clan Des Obeaux ran well in Ireland and was much improved come Boxing Day ....can you really get off him?

The one difference with Altior and most top 2 milers is how strongly he finshed his races , Badsworth Boy , Master Minded , Moscow Flyer had their race won a long way out at their best.

Today he was never ridden as if he was going to sweep past the winner in the straight .
There only hope is to try him on good ground over a distance .....if we ever get good ground again.

i looked up the progeny stats of the dam and sire of altior for stamina over further than 2m  last night and they were not encouraging at all.

^I think Henderson felt backed into a corner to run because of all the hype since the end of last season and he didn't want to disappoint all the fans who had made arrangements to be at Ascot yesterday.

Should have had the exact same program as last year starting with the Tingle Creek, and maybe go to Aintree for the 2m4f race if they want to step him up in trip - crazy decision to try to turn him into a King George horse.
He made the exact same mistake with Remittance Man so should have learnt his lesson.

I think I would be inclined to skip the KG,and campaign him now for another Queen Mother.
Very interesting to see the reaction from those that know the horse better than me though!!!

hendo talking a rematch and some time and considering the king george according to the "hendo in denial " thread on the horse racing forum.

aiden obrien tried to train ten sovereigns to get a mile and switched him off so much he wasn't the same, bar when he switched him back to sprinting. i know it is a bad example as flat totally different to jumping but altior ran like a horse who'd be trained to switch off and lacked the zest of his previous performances

I don't think he will be in the King George .

I don't see him running until 2020, and then back in the QM .

The evidence suggests that Altior ran his race and , in my view , lost nothing in defeat . There are now three bits of form that say Cyrname is a star at Ascot .

A few of Hendo's have come up short against eg Santini and Fusil Raffles, and Altior did look very tired after the race; Altior never looked like passing Cyrname at any stage of the race not even at 2m. Also, given the ground and on a right-hand course it could be one factor to much 1st time out. The opposite was true about Cyrname.

I hope he goes to Kempton on Boxing Day and much better ground prevails to be absolutely definitive where he'll go next. Unless he's regressed he did not look like the same Altior of last or previous seasons - the poor sod did look very tired after the race.

considering his improvement from his previous runs off a lay off he could be monster cyrname. i'm surprised he isn't shorter for the george myself because if he does improve the others will have it all to do to keep tabs on him

breeding suggests he should get 3m , could improve for it  .

Depends on how Altior  comes out of the race , longer than a month may be required .

The way Altior looked immediately post race he'd do with a 6 month holiday.