Altior or Cyrname? Our experts give their verdict on Saturday's showdown

Cyrname the bet under these conditions

It does not bring any great joy to predict the demise of a champion, but if you are a punter, especially one who tends to take on favourites, you have to try sometimes. On last season's evidence, there must be a fair chance that we have seen the best of Altior.

He jumped badly left at this course and at Sandown on his last run. He scraped home, by his brilliant standards, in the Champion Chase and was not exactly at his most impressive in the Celebration Chase. He is also rising ten, and relatively few of Nicky Henderson's champions hold it together well into their second decade.

His best was better than Cyrname's and it is odds on that will always remain the case, but the challenger has so much in his favour on this first meeting. Ascot is evidently his track and he will more than likely be the fitter. Both of those factors are compounded by Cyrname's exuberant racing style – there is no fudging it when he's around.