Altior 'absolutely humming' as he aims to trump Big Buck's in Celebration Chase

3.00 Sandown
Bet365 Celebration Chase (Grade 1) 2m | 5yo | ITV1/RTV

Sandown racegoers have been denied the clash between Altior and Cyrname, but any glimpse of arguably the sport's brightest star is one to relish as Nicky Henderson's ace aims to surpass the 18 wins legendary staying hurdler Big Buck's recorded from 2009-2012.

Successful in the last two Celebration Chases, Altior, who will be ridden as usual by Nico de Boinville, was last seen landing his second Champion Chase to take his Cheltenham Festival win tally to four.

He has been unbeaten for four years and dealing with the pressure of that seems Henderson's hardest task in managing the athletic nine-year-old.

"The sequence gets longer, but it has to end one day," said Henderson, who will relinquish the trainers' title to Paul Nicholls. "We've had a great year in general. Cheltenham was good and so was Aintree, and they've run great all season.

"Okay, Paul's done really well and we've had a good battle and come off second best in the championship, but it would be very sad to go into summer quarters with that [a defeat] as the ending.

"You'd love to go out with Altior's winning sequence intact, that would mean everything and we can sign off on a high."

Henderson, if bookmakers, ratings and the naked eye are to be believed, has little to worry about, although last month's Champion Chase was arguably the toughest assignment of Altior's phenomenal career, while quick conditions could be a concern despite his sire High Chaparral winning the Breeders' Cup Turf on firm ground.

"He loves good, fast ground, but it's got to be very, very safe," Henderson stressed. "Nico's very good and the team are very good at knowing his wellbeing, as is the horse; he could tell you himself.

"We had a look at him ten days before Aintree and he was fine, but he wasn't wanting to take off with you. He didn't need another race at that point, but now he's absolutely humming. He had a hard race at Cheltenham, but it was the same after the festival last year."

Owned by art curator Patricia Pugh, the mighty Altior is, perhaps surprisingly, officially rated 3lb inferior to Cyrname, who does not run because of the quick ground.

"Cyrname's not running, but we'll concentrate on what we're doing, not what anyone else is doing," added Henderson.

"We've always been coming here – it's been the plan – and we've just got to try to get our job done. He likes Sandown and has hit that flat spot at Cheltenham, but soon shakes his head and off he's gone."

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