RTÉ Racing journalist
The first day of the 2021 Cheltenham Festival is in the books. Appreciate It, Shiskin and Honeysuckle all delivered as champions should. The latter once again made a fool of me in justifying strong market confidence. The fastest chasers in the game take centre stage on day two.
1.20 Ballymore Novices Hurdle
A small but competitive field. Bob Olinger, Gaillard Du Mesnil and Bravemansgame have all looked potential stars in recent victories. I struggle to separate them and my betting angle is to back the one currently trading at the biggest price. Bear Ghylls is another who could take a hand if, and it s a big if, his jumping improves.
The Leader Newspaper
By Andrew Atkinson
Altior has been withdrawn from the Queen Mother Champion Chase on day two at the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday after trainer Nicky Henderson revealed the chaser had returned an unsatisfactory scope.
âWe are very sorry that we have taken the difficult decision not to run Altior in the Champion Chase. He coughed after exercise which caused us to scope him and as a result of what we have seen it would not be sensible to run him.
âThis is devastating for all of us, and Altiorâs owners Pat and Christopher Pugh in particular, in that this is the second year running we have had to pull him out at the last minute,” said Henderson.
You must have a few Bob on Olinger in the Ballymore
Bob Olinger can give his trainre Henry De Bromhead another Cheltenham winner.
WHAT a race we have in store to kick off Wednesday’s card.
The Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (1.20pm) has produced some fantastic horses over the years like Istabraq, Hardy Eustace and Faugheen.
And one of the best may well turn out to be last year’s victor Envoi Allen – then under the care of Gordon Elliott and now with Henry de Bromhead – who could make it 12 out of 12 in the Marsh Novices’ Chase on Thursday.
De Bromhead has plenty of bullets to fire this week, though, and I strongly fancy
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UPDATED 7:24PM, MAR 15 2021
Altior has been ruled out of Wednesday s Grade 1 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at the eleventh hour after Nicky Henderson reported he returned an unsatisfactory scope on Monday morning.
The 11-year-old, who won in 2018 and 2019, was withdrawn on the morning of the race last year after failing to recover from a setback. Altior had been available at 6-1 generally for this year s running.
Speaking to the Racing Post, Henderson said: It s very upsetting. At least he told us, which is something. If we d run him, well, it just doesn t bear thinking about. We ve got the figures back from the laboratory and they tell their own tale.