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Jesus that’s miles off champ chase form , Nico never happy
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
A slap in the face…. Winner was heavily eased inside the final 100 yds. Rouge Vif and Duc De Genievres just confirmed what they are, good handicappers. Altior might have run his last race ….. over 2 miles that is.
WD Robbo!
Sad to see Altior struggle like this. I refused to believe that he was miles below his best level, but this was probably his worst race ever. Not jumping, not travelling.
Thank you gents buzzing with that winning at 30.0. Needed a good winner after a disaster of a day yesterday so that’s made up for it and some.
I wouldn’t expect Altior to turn up for the champion chase now. Winner laughed at him and must have more to come aged just 6. Altiors best days are behind him now.
Going to be retired off the back of that run reading between the lines of what Nico just said “He has gone out fighting” as opposed to ‘gone down fighting’.
Never really been a spectacular travelling type, even at his peak he would generally hit a flat flat spot before outstaying them. That was more of a flat race than a flat spot though. I doubt he will be back to his best again coming up 11. I’d be tempted to give the 2m another chance in The Game Spirit, and then head for the Melling. Up in trip and (potentially) beautiful G/S ground.
Henderson probably wishing he had not come up with all the stuff about crabbing Politologue (often) and Altior working like a 5f Flat G1 winner at home.
BUY THE SUN
I realise Altior is getting older and maybe it is a case of time just catching up with him – but in my opinion it was a huge mistake to start training him with last season’s King George in mind.
He is one of the best two mile chasers ever and never beaten over the distance until today. Why fix something that was not broke?
I suspect Henderson knows it was a mistake which is why he gets so tetchy and defensive.
Don’t agree with that personally, although it does make sense Cork. My favourite horses have always had a go over different trips. Kauto Star, Dessie.
BUY THE SUN
He was under pressure after jumping the fourth or so and I still can’t think of any Festival race that he could win. He doesn’t have the speed for 2 miles against any of the younger rivals and I also doubt that the Ryanair would suit him considering the setbacks he’s had in the past two years.
What does he owe them? A good 4th place in the QM??? No way….
suspect Henderson knows it was a mistake which is why he gets so tetchy and defensive.
He has said it was a mistake- well running him on heavy over the distance. He really still has the arse about being criticised for pulling out of the Tingle Creek doesn’t he?
I wonder if he privately sort of thought from the start of last season that Altior was losing his edge a little and that’s why he went up in trip. And denied his own feelings about a potential slight decline with all that “looks and works better than ever, should be in the Kings Stand, terrifying fast over schooling fences, can’t bear to watch” stuff. Hopefully he’ll give that a rest now.
I know Nicky said it was extremely unlikely he would be retired but to be fair if Nicky told me it was clear blue skies and blazing sunshine outside I would probably put my rain coat on just in case. Nico clearly let slip that he will be retired imo when he stated “He has gone out fighting” and I would expect the announcement to come in the next week or so.
If you owned a gelded horse which could feasibly still earn you hundreds of thousands of pounds why would you retire him?
BUY THE SUN
“If you owned a gelded horse which could feasibly still earn you hundreds of thousands of pounds why would you retire him?“
Because nobody wants to see a champion as dominant as Altior has been over the years run around getting beat picking up a bit of prize money because he still can. Honour, pride, legendary status and not wanting to watch a champ in decline would be the main reasons. Happens all the time.
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