- This topic has 41 replies, 23 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 2 months ago by
.
- Posts
I’ve got Altior in quite a few bets for the Arkle and stand to win a few quid from it….but would gladly lose that antepost money to see him go for the race he should now…
He’s a spectacular horse…I just don’t see any weakness in him at all…any type of course, any ground, jumped brilliant today…can win from the front, or sit in behind…he’s shown before he finds loads off the bridle…wins on it as he’s shown lately…just so powerful at the end of his races!
As has already been said…in a match if there was any concern of one of them hitting the deck I’d bet every penny I’ve got it would be Douvan over Altior if any…
If you’ve got the tool to do it now…which you have…then go for it! Don’t be caught out looking 12 months in front because as we’ve been cruelly reminded so many times in recent months anything can happen in this game…
Not often that I agree with Nick Luck but I would also suspect that the vast majority of people who don’t have an Arkle voucher would want to see him take on Douvan.
I would have his Supreme win and today’s romp well ahead of anything Douvan has ever produced.
If Altior did take on Douvan I think that the Irish horse is the one most likely to end up on the floor. Quite often, even under no pressure, he has little margin for error. Altior is the better jumper and Douvan would need a miracle to match his change of pace.
I fully agree with you and also with Joe. He has just too many gears for any NH horse on the planet. Somehow he looked like Sprinter Sacre today, big and bold, never came out of 2nd gear and will be equally effective over 2m4f. The Arkle is his race to lose, while Douvan would have to produce a career best to brush him aside.
In my opinion Henderson will take the more cautious route via the Arkle, and quite rightly so. I cannot understand why so many people want novices to take part in championship races against their more experienced rivals before they have to do so. Why risk the chances of putting them on the floor or worse ?
Because sport should be about the best taking on the best in events which will go down in history.
Instead we’re going to have Altior dotting up at long odds on in a non event of an Arkle followed by Douvan doing the same 24 hours later.
As for next year we could well see Douvan stepping up in trip which leaves the way open for Altior to clean up in more non events at the two mile division.
There have been examples of this before when either circumstances , or other issues, have ruined a potentially great young horses. I will no doubt incur the wrath of the majority by bringing up Carvill’s Hill However, it is what it is. Lets hope everything ends well.
Altior should go straight to the Champion Chase. He reminds me a bit of Frankel … the fact that he loves to run. This horse is a Douvan buster!
Douvan wouldn’t be hitting the deck, squeaky bum time for those betting everything they got on that happening, he could fall off the Empire state building and land on his feet.
I’d be surprised if it happens (the match up) this year anyway. Henderson seems in no rush and I don’t think you can campaign your horses with the thinking of others have not made it in the past, you have to do what is right for the horse and if Henderson wants to go the Arkle route this year then CC next you can’t argue with it.Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
True Nathan but I have a funny feeling if Altior and Douvan don’t clash this year, it never will. This is because I think Altior will stay at 2 miles and Douvan will be aimed at longer distances.
Sorry to trudge out that old cliche , but it is all about opinions . I am a huge fan of both horses . I had already backed Altior for the Arkle prior to Min’s Cheltenham withdrawal . He would have beat that horse decisively anyway .
Douvan , is another kettle of fish entirely , and for me , he is by far the biggest ” certainty ” of the upcoming festival .
For obvious selfish reasons , I do hope Nicky Henderson decides to stick with the more easily achievable Arkle route – and for the horse’s sake as well .
Why ?
Because I think Douvan is a monster , and arguably the best horse in National Hunt racing today . I fear he would break Altior’s heart if they were to meet at Cheltenham . Ruby Walsh would simply crank up the gears fence after fence until such a point Altior’s finishing speed would be nullified . Anyhow , you get the picture …
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Ruby Walsh would simply crank up the gears fence after fence until such a point Altior’s finishing speed would be nullified
That would be my prediction.
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
If they met in the Tingle Creek at around the Douvan 1/2 v Altior 6/4 I’d be all over the latter.
This potential rivalry is the first since that could remind me of Kauto/Denman or Moscow/Azertioup…..for what its worth I think Douvan would just gallop Altior into the ground……The basic form of getting 5lbs from a horse returning from injury is a complete world away from taking on that monster…….IMO Nicky would be crazy to take him on this year……….still i really want to see it cause he appears to be the only one who could show us how good Douvan really is.
Being quite new to the sport and jumping in particular and seeing that on Saturday honestly I’ve not seen a horse as comfortable.
The wife was commenting on the chases being too high the other day, had to stop and record one of those jumps of his and show her what Altior thought of them, in his element!
Wish I’d had a few quid on before!
Surprised his jumping was quite so universally admired. Super safe and not in any way slow but he does give it ‘big air’, as my old snowboarding buddies used to say (though not about me).
His style reminds me very much of a previous Henderson inmate in Fondmort who had a very ‘big’ show-jumping style. Beautiful to watch and superior to 99% of all potential rivals. Douvan might be different though and whilst I agree statistically the Mullins horse might be the more likely to fall (Douvan doesn’t ever look like falling and Altior never will) he may have an advantage in speed over a fence.Also, having put my own hard earned cash on Altior to win the Arkle, I have no compunction to say I wish him to run there and not to see him clash with Douvan this year. Ante post betting is a sporting endeavour for sure and I don’t think it would be at all ‘un-sporting’ to see my judgement given the fullest opportunity to be rewarded.
So pleased to see Altior living up to his ‘One to Watch’ accolade from we TRFers. But there is no way that he will be anything other than Arkle-bound this year: this is the route NJH’s best two-mile novice chasers always follow, and Altior, as the Heir Apparent, is firmly following in King Sprinter’s hoofprints.
Douvan will wait – after all, this was the year when it was to be Sprinter v Douvan. I also think NJH will be mindful of what he learnt from training Sprinter – these ‘monsters’ may be winning easily but they are always racing. He won’t go to the well too often again, as he admits to having done with Sprinter in 2013. So, Altior will probably only have one more run after Cheltenham – at Aintree.
As for Douvan – I’m not so sure he will go up in trip. Previous ‘thinking aloud’ from the RR/WPM camp seemed to be suggesting ‘why change things’ (at least for this season). As the defending champion (barring accidents), it makes sense for him to come back to try for the repeat. And then there’s the perennial issue of ‘what else might RR have to place elsewhere and substitute’. I’d love to see Douvan v Altior in the Tingle Creek, but I suspect that the two will be kept apart until the showdown in 2018, which would be as big as Kauto v Denman – I can see RR relishing this sort of stage and not wanting to duck that at all.
Surprised his jumping was quite so universally admired. Super safe and not in any way slow but he does give it ‘big air’, as my old snowboarding buddies used to say (though not about me).
Why? The ‘daylight’ jumps only came after the race was won. Too much has been made of the last fence. Take another look at the first in the straight. About as good a jump at pace as you could wish to see.
Just watched it properly at ‘full size’. Altior’s racing style reminds me of Denman – that stretched neck and appetite for galloping and jumping. I suspect he takes quite a bit out of himself.
Just watched it properly at ‘full size’. Altior’s racing style reminds me of Denman – that stretched neck and appetite for galloping and jumping. I suspect he takes quite a bit out of himself.
If it does take a lot out of him it hasn’t shown in any of his performances. I will always prefer Denman to Kauto Star because of the two handicap performances but he was essentially a dour galloper. Altior is just a class act who can produce a surge at the end of his races that I doubt any horse could come close to matching. He has already taken care of Min and I have little doubt he could have brushed aside the best that Faugheen could have offered. Unfortunately, that match-up will never happen and I suspect Mullins will do everything possible to avoid Douvan being exposed.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.