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Altior has been withdrawn from the Queen Mother Champion Chase on day two at the Cheltenham Festival on Wednesday after trainer Nicky Henderson revealed the chaser had returned an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.
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The 11-year-old, who won in 2018 and 2019, was withdrawn on the morning of the race last year after failing to recover from a setback.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.
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The 2018 and 2019 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner, Altior, has been ruled out of going for a third tilt at the race at this week’s Cheltenham Festival.
The 11-year-old’s trainer Nicky Henderson reported today (15 March) that he had returned an unsatisfactory scope after working this morning.
Breaking the news via his Twitter account, Nicky said: “We are very sorry that we have taken the decision not to run Altior in the Champion Chase on Wednesday. He coughed after exercise this morning, which caused us to scope him, and as a result of what we have seen it would not be sensible to run him.
Cheltenham Festival 2021 tips from Love Island s Chris Hughes as Annie Mc races for win Mirror 14/03/2021
Replay Video
Chris Hughes has an extra special reason to be watching the Cheltenham Festival this year.
The horse he co-owns through the Coral Champions Club, Annie Mc, is racing for a big win in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares Chase.
An 8-1 shot with the sponsors, the seven-year-old has won her last two races in Listed company – and bids to round off her season with a memorable hat-trick on March 19.
The new race at the meeting is run just over an hour after the feature WellChild Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Sky Bet and Paddy Power Market Movers
By Sporting Life
15:53 · TUE December 29, 2020
Paul Nicholls Calva D Auge has been the subject of support in the handicap hurdle at Newbury today, while we also round up the Leopardstown movers.
Two of the principals may have been declared non-runners but there is still plenty of money around for Paul Nicholls top-weight
Calva D Auge in the handicap hurdle (2.05) at Newbury this afternoon. He s 15/8 from 3/1 with Sky Bet and now the 11/5 favourite with Paddy Power.
Both firms also report significant support for the Jonjo O Neill-trained
Django Django -
Monkfish,
Concertista and
Saint Roi are all solid as they look to land more big-race success at Leopardstown for trainer Willie Mullins, whose thoughts on his Tuesday team