Nicky Henderson scratching his head over King George route for Altior

Nicky Henderson would like to give Altior his next start over two and a half miles in preparation for the record-breaking chaser's tilt at the three-mile King George VI Chase in December.

The trainer said he will spend the summer wrestling with options for Altior, who took his unbeaten run to 19 when landing the Celebration Chase under Nico de Boinville at Sandown on Saturday.

The nine-year-old, who has never raced over further than two miles two furlongs, has proven himself one of the greatest two-mile chasers of the century, winning the Tingle Creek in December and the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the last two Cheltenham Festivals.

Assessing a possible build-up to the December 26 showpiece, Henderson said on Sunday: "You could still go for the Tingle Creek and then the King George but the trouble is the way he jumps, when he wants to attack, attack, attack – over two miles that's what you do, but over three miles he's going to have to do it completely differently.

"He's going to have to control that. He'll never get home jumping like that over three miles because he'd be in front after three fences. We're going to have to teach him to switch off. He's got to learn, and I'd really rather have his first run over two and a half miles. That would be the sensible way to do it.

"As much as you'd like to try to take the Tingle Creek first because that's the obvious place, all you're doing is firing him up rather than trying to settle him down."

Watch Altior win a third Celebration Chase

Henderson is convinced Altior has been shaping as though he wants a longer trip, but he has yet to settle on an ideal King George prep.

"There's the Old Roan or the Peterborough or the 1965 Chase at Ascot, but he'd be cluttered up with Grade 1 penalties," the trainer said. "The Betfair Chase has been a graveyard race for me and that doesn't tempt me. It's an easy three miles these days but mine have never done any good in it.

"Those are my initial thoughts, but I've got all summer to change my mind, to talk to everybody and see what Nico [de Boinville] thinks."

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