You can say that Altior hits a flat spot in many of the races he has contested, but when they approach that final fence he switches on the after burners. He is one hell of a two-mile chaser.
What a performance from Altior there - he clearly hated every second of running on that ground and still blitzed them all. Would've loved to see him duelling with Douvan - shame he fell - he looked like he was going very well indeed. Henderson - send Altior to Punchestown - we want a rematch Altior vs Douvan II
Altior in this reminded me of the Queen Mother Flagship Uberalles won. Never fully travelling and not really enjoying himself.... But class always rises to the top.
All considered, that was an amazing performance. The horse found another leg when Nico got stuck in to him. Very very high class, in that he could most probably be held up and win a gold cup like Kauto Star. Very interesting to see what distances he's campaigned at next year.
Was there on the Wednesday and what i was watching is that douvan was absoulutly cruising when it fell .its such a shame because it would have been the race of the meeting if hed stayed on his feet ..douvan is rated much higher than min by the mullins camp thats why ruby was down to ride him ...altior is the best horse in training and him douvan different class to the rest of that field lets hope they meet again.
I think we’re witnessing the best we’ve ever seen. It’s a shame Douvan fell. He definitely looked up for it today. Let’s hope we get a re- match at Liverpool next month. Altior is very very special
I've seen so many best horses I've ever seen. Maybe he is the best we have ever seen until next year when Samcro can be labelled that. By that time Kauto Star will be forgotten and the Arkle will be called the Altior.
Carpetlay1 You are getting carried away. The race fell apart, Min didn’t get up the hill as previously, Special Tiara ran himself out on unsuitable ground and uprooted one fence, Politologue doesn’t act around Cheltenham, Ordinary World is,well, ordinary, and Douvan fell. He was being scrubbed along behind 4 vulnerable opponents before they fell away up the hill.
It’s a good point. If Douvan kept going the way he was going, I imagine by the time Altior jumped the last fence, Douvan would have already been half way up the hill.
Really hard to know how to evaluate Altior. Either he absolutely hated the ground, but still won because he was much the best. In which case, you can double the winning distance on good ground. Or he was struggling with the speed of the race and won because his stamina was much better. So he'd be worse on good ground. Or he was idling through the race, which would be worrying and maybe would be better with headgear. I'm thinking mainly 1, but with a bit of 3.
Nico de Boinville said after the race that Altior absolutely hated the conditions. However, the horse must possess a fantastic engine and simply went into overdrive up that Cheltenham hill.
Fine performance by Altior, but the real test will come when both he and Douvan get round in a race. Only then will we know who is genuinely the best two mile chaser of his generation.
station ofdreams, there will be no real test between altior and douvan, douvan doesn't have the power that altior has especially when it comes to the last fence and pulling a way, Altior slaughtered special tiara in the whitebread chase last year he went passed him like he was standing still. I suppose you could say Altior problem is that he is not a spectacular as Sprinter Sacre, take the two ss was a show off and he knew he was the best, Altior is a little terrier he runs like an ordinary horse but has an extra 3 gears but it doesn't come across like ss.
M8 had Douvan bn brought down at that fence or been unsighted that could've gave him an excuse then fair enough but being labelled the best chaser is not just looking the part & having a high cruising speed & the ability to sustain a good gallop, It also involves jumping & maintaining the partnership! Douvan was a helluva horse but not quite as gd or as dependable as Altior imo.
@@barbaradyson6951 Couldn't agree more with your comparison between the old Henderson 2 Barbara, I know it's difficult 2 compare Horses who didn't run against each other or from different eras but imo I think that each at their peak SS would win but what I did find a little strange was that Nico has stated that Altior is the best horse he's ever sat on & he was SS's work rider!! Perhaps SS was one of those horses that didn't do much at home or maybe he felt because he had so much success on Altior he was swayed in his favour. Who did you think was the best of those 2 Barbara?
Yes ill agree Altior is special and I belive Douvan is special too hence why I backed him yesterday. Gutted as he was travelling so well but hey the fences are there to be jumped. However anybody who believes Altior will ever match Sprinter Sacre in my opinion meeds their head examined 😀 Well done Nicky Nico and Altior.
Great performance from a great horse. Surely he must he rivalling Sprinter Sacre after that. My horse Special Tiara ran an excellent race until that mistake halfway through. A good performance from the reigning champ but it was always going to be hard to retain the crown given the quality of this year's field. Fantastic commentary from Ian Bartlett.
I think the Altior - Sprinter question is very valid after today. A not-100% fit Altior dismantling a top class field. Probably the most stacked QM Champion Chase there has ever been. Min, Douvan, Politologue, Special Tiara, God's Own, Ordinary World. WOW. Any of those horses I just mentioned would have been worthy winners in a normal year. Poor Min, finishing twice at Cheltenham to Altior. Any other year he would have won his race by 5 lengths. He has just run into a freak. The form of that Supreme of 2016 is crazy, the 3rd Buveur Dair has since gone onto win back-to-back Champion Hurdles. Mental. Un De Sceaux is a good benchmark, a top quality horse in its own right, Sprinter made Un De Sceaux look like a Perth handicapper in july. Min is also clearly an exceptional horse, probably comparable to Un De Sceaux in terms of form and level. I just think the way Sprinter effortlessly dismantled Un De Sceaux, yet Altior had to "try" to best Min, would still give it to Sprinter for me. Remember that Sprinter doing this to Un De Sceaux was 2.5-3 years after his prime, after all the injuries. I think Sprinter at his top level was still a bit better than Altior is, albeit Altior is clearly an absolutely phenomenal racehorse. They are without question the best 2 Champion Chasers there have been in decades. Moscow Flyer and Azertyuiop were nowhere near the level of Sprinter or Altior, and people are being nostalgic and deluded if they think they were. I'd argue Min and Un De Sceaux were probably better horses than Moscow Flyer, no disrespect to the great horse!
CrushRAVids the most stacked champion chase ever? Min is rated 10 pounds worse than Moscow Flyers two main opponents. Douvan very well when he departed. That might not have meant anything if he had stood up but we just don't know. I look forward to them clashing again. People aren't deluded if they have a different opinion than you. It's only deluded to have the egotism to believe that you know (for sure) that a horse that won yesterday is much better than a horse that finished racing 13 years ago. My own feeling is that few champions of the last 20 years would have beaten Altior on yesterday's performance. Master Minded, Moscow Flyer and Sprinter Sacre. I can't know for sure..
We hail a new champion chaser. Altior could be as good as Sprinter Sacre. Has emulated the great 2m chaser by achieving the Arkle/Champion Chase double. The winner is out of a Derby winner, High Chaparral. Ian Bartlett also commentated the Gold Cup. He, Mark Johnson and Simon Holt are top commentators, the latter most notably for many years with Channel 4.
Remember Arkle was rated 212 against Sprinter Sacre on 192. .......20lbs superior. Meaning if Sprinter Sacre carried 10 stone 9 lbs and Arkle 12 stone then Arkle would still win.
andy Elliott arkles rating has been questioned as being exaggerated, which it has, he was a good chaser who carried top weight a lot of the time, but so did desert orchid, who won more races over various distances, in the irish grand national arkle carried top weight 12 7 and beat his rival by 1 and half lengths, desert orchid carried top weight 12 2 and beat his rival by 15 lengths, plus how could arkle be classified as the greatest when he only won the Cheltenham gold cup 3 times, try golden miller who won the Cheltenham gold cup 5 times and a grand national in between, and also set the course record which was eventually broken by red rum in 1973 and that was broken by mr frisk in think 82 or 83 plus the timeform rating wasn't around in GM day.
DJ Jesus He Died For Our Spins yep was travelling great, shame he fell. Will probably be better ground at Aintree though, so we'll see an even better Altior; he wont be coming off the bridle as easily. And clearly Douvan's jumping can't be relied upon when push comes to shove...
DJ Jesus He Died For Our Spins how can you say that after watching that? Altior travelled worse than most of them and still won by 5 or 6 going away! I'd take a horse with the gears and guts like altior than anything that cruises through a race and finds nothing off the bridle all day long!!
This aussie loves jumps racing its a shame we don't seem to have as much of it nowadays I love watching the uk and irish jumps especially aintree its on my bucket list of events to see as well as an ashes test at lords mind you were shit at the moment and the poms would fair smash us lol altior is the winx of jumps racing what a great champion
Altior retired this week. I hope one day u get to see Cheltenham and feel the atmosphere of the 4 day meeting. Jump racing's olympics. Also Happy birthday Winx got up very early to watch her in her races. Legend
It was far too early to tell whether Douvan would have made an impact towards the finish and at 2 out Altior seemed to be struggling where as Min was cruising and looked all over the winner. Nevertheless Nico never gave up and kept pushing away at Altior and they galloped all the way up the hill. What a horse!! Would love to see Douvan and Altior clahing again tho!
'Never gave up'? lol Altior was only ever being nudged along coming down the hill on ground it doesn't like. Horse had tons left in the tank. Horse's don't roll down hills, they have 4 legs and a bloke on top. It's very common to see horses need a nudge down that hill. You're talking like he was under the whip 3 fences out ffs. The horse was never 'struggling'.
One of the best Champion Chasers we've seen! But not on the level of Sprinter Sacre/Moscow Flyer. They don't get up the hill like Altior, but they never hit a flat spot and would be clear before Altior could reach them. I think an RPR of 183 is an over-reaction.
At their best I would say you're probably right but you have to acknowledge that the horse didn't like that ground at all. Reminded me of Desert Orchid in 89 when he too hated the bad ground but battled up the hill. First time I saw Altior at Kempton on Boxing Day 2015 and I was blown away by his turn of foot. OK, it wasn't the greatest race that day, but he won the race in a few strides. A mythical race with Sprinter & Moscow would ultimately come down to the ground, the course and tactics. On decent ground somewhere like Kempton he'd have too much for those two I reckon. On bad ground at Cheltenham he'd struggle. This was my favourite race of the 2018 festival...even though I had money on Native River, Penhill and Summerville Boy and not a penny on Altior!
Watch a replay Moscow Flyers 2005 Champion Chase and ask if you're confident Altior would beat him with something in hand. He very well might, but I think it's hard to be confident. Also, I'm not entirely on the form of Min, destroying an old Special Tiara on soft ground the time before. We'll see if he carries his form to Aintree or Punchestown, and hopefully have a clearer picture of where they're at :)
@sc00bydoo10 sprinter was a better traveller but altior would of got him as he finishes stronger than the rest it would be a great race and to win sprinter would need a big lead as altior fiinishes much better
What an example of what a horse can be, not very often you see see a horse with such an engine and an even bigger heart. Lame two days before he ran and still made good horses look like donkeys
Why on earth did Mullins put an amateur up on his best horse returning from a year off in a Championship race. The likes of Johnson and Geraghty were available - crazy decision!
9pwss camel. please don't slag off amateurs, some are as good as professional jockeys, and if he rides douvan at home every day then he would know the horse inside out. Same as nico, he rode sprinter sacre out every day and believe me you DO get to know your horse and his quirks.
Barbara Dyson. I didn’t slag off amateurs and doubtless they can get to know the quirks of a horse they are associated with but, if you have a choice then why choose to put up an amateur jockey who’s ridden in just 58 chases over the last 5 years as against a top notch professional who has ridden in hundreds of chases? Imo it’s an irrational decision irrespective of whether the horse won or fell (as it did for the first time in 14 races). The trainer’s explanation was that his son had ridden it once before at Leopardstown and it had jumped well in winning. Fair enough, and it’s connections’ call as to who rides but still not the most rational call to my mind. Surprised so little was made of it by the racing media.
9pwss camel as I said the jockey who has only ridden 58 times PROBABLY RIDES HIM OUT EVERYDAY AT HOME, and besides that walsh chose to ride min instead, I DO WISH ARMCHAIR PUNDITS WOULD GO AND WORK WITH HORSES THEN MAKE STATEMENTS AFTERWARDS,.
Barbara Dyson Barbara, firstly you stated I had slagged off amateurs: I hadn’t. Now you say Walsh was down to ride Min: he wasn’t. He was declared to ride Douvan. Whether Paul Townend on Min had the option to switch to Douvan I don’t know - I surmise not based on Mullins’ stated reason for putting his son up. Notwithstanding there are plenty of stable staff riding out horses in training and aware of individual horses’ quirks, near 100% of horses are ridden in races by professional jockeys for the patently obvious reason that it maximises the chance of winning. Racing is a professional sport and the Champion Chase is arguably the most demanding ride a jockey can face with horses going like the clappers over the demanding fences. Hence, my astonishment that connections didn’t find a top rank professional to replace Walsh when plenty were available. In response to a perfectly valid observation, you seem to have gone off on some tangent, going to war on behalf of amateurs, getting your facts wrong and descending into screaming caps in the process.
Altior wasn't even trying until he got over the last. Look how wide his ears were all the way round and only flicked them back in concentration after the last. I dare say a more interested Altior and good or good to soft going and he would have won this by a distance.
The hill wouldv come far too late for Altior had Douvan not fallen. He's good but definitely vulnerable and I think we'll see the flag lowered in Cheltenham. Big call I know.
but this is jump racing and douvan didnt stay on hes feet meaning the superior animal was altior.The commentator couldnt of said it better nico de boinville produces altior and he just powers away . simple win on testing ground
That's utter rubbish! Douvan couldn't beat Un de Sceaux off level weights at Punchestown after the QMCC. Altior has just today put Un de Sceaux firmly in his place in the Tingle Creek at Sandown, again in absolutely atrocious conditions. Altior is the best two mile chaser in training, bar none.
@@quidnunc2436 Using that run shows you know fuck all about racing. You must be very new to it. During Cheltenham 2017 Douvan suffered a horrific injury and has never been the same. Prior to that he destroyed classy horses like Sizing John by 18 lengths. He'd won 13 in a row when he suffered that horrific injury. I suggest you go and watch some of Douvan prior to his injuries newbie. He was an unreal horse. His runs back then make Altior look like shit. It's sad to watch Douvan now getting beat by horses he'd have walloped by 20 lengths when at his best.
Unbelievable commentary, it still blows my mind how effortless they can make such amazing calls
Is it Simon Bartlet? I'm still pretty new to horse racing
Altior hated every moment of that and still blitzed them. Amazing horse.
Pure class, hated the ground and still won going away, the sign of a true champion, hope he’s around for a long time
You can say that Altior hits a flat spot in many of the races he has contested, but when they approach that final fence he switches on the after burners. He is one hell of a two-mile chaser.
Just watched this for the first time in ages and completely broke out in goosebumps. What a horse
Sprinter Sacre, Flyingbolt and a rapidly closing Altior are the best two mile chasers I have seen in 57 years of following jumping.
Douvan was magnificent before that injury in 2017.
@@XavierMarciano Yes, he definitely was. Sadly, his injury prevented him from showing his true potential. He might have been one of the very best.
Bog Standard no chance a prime sprinter sacre slaughters him in second gear.
you forgot Royal Relief 72 and 74.
Moscow flyer was a beast
Fantastic commentary, Ian Bartlett immaculate.
‘but Altior, here he comes now’ goosebumps
Altior one of the finest horses I've seen in a very long time
Happy retirement altior what a horse !!
he went from out of the race to winner in 2 strides. it was blink and you miss it stuff. incredible
'Out of the race'? What?
Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase is amazing vedio. Thanks.
What a performance from Altior there - he clearly hated every second of running on that ground and still blitzed them all.
Would've loved to see him duelling with Douvan - shame he fell - he looked like he was going very well indeed.
Henderson - send Altior to Punchestown - we want a rematch Altior vs Douvan II
Altior in this reminded me of the Queen Mother Flagship Uberalles won. Never fully travelling and not really enjoying himself.... But class always rises to the top.
All considered, that was an amazing performance. The horse found another leg when Nico got stuck in to him. Very very high class, in that he could most probably be held up and win a gold cup like Kauto Star. Very interesting to see what distances he's campaigned at next year.
Min was coasting and altior still blazed him when he wanted back in the stables half way round
Was there on the Wednesday and what i was watching is that douvan was absoulutly cruising when it fell .its such a shame because it would have been the race of the meeting if hed stayed on his feet ..douvan is rated much higher than min by the mullins camp thats why ruby was down to ride him ...altior is the best horse in training and him douvan different class to the rest of that field lets hope they meet again.
I think we’re witnessing the best we’ve ever seen. It’s a shame Douvan fell. He definitely looked up for it today. Let’s hope we get a re- match at Liverpool next month. Altior is very very special
I've seen so many best horses I've ever seen. Maybe he is the best we have ever seen until next year when Samcro can be labelled that. By that time Kauto Star will be forgotten and the Arkle will be called the Altior.
Chris James Samcro is a very good horse, but he’s never gonna fall into the best ever category. Over 2 miles Altior would absolutely destroy Samcro
Carpetlay1 my point was that horses get called the greatest ever quickly. It does not have to be Samcro - that (obviously) was not my point.
Carpetlay1 You are getting carried away. The race fell apart, Min didn’t get up the hill as previously, Special Tiara ran himself out on unsuitable ground and uprooted one fence, Politologue doesn’t act around Cheltenham, Ordinary World is,well, ordinary, and Douvan fell. He was being scrubbed along behind 4 vulnerable opponents before they fell away up the hill.
It’s a good point. If Douvan kept going the way he was going, I imagine by the time Altior jumped the last fence, Douvan would have already been half way up the hill.
Fuckin hell Tiger Roll isn't just a 1 trip pony, he's won the champion chase and cross country in the same day. 😂😂
Coming over the 3rd last youd never have Altior as the winner, massive shame that Douvan fell, never got to see that clash
Altior is a true champion and he has to be up there with the best I've backed Chacun pour soi this year though
Pure Class, as soon as he saw daylight, whoosh.
Easy Peasy!!!!
Thankyou Altior.
Just when he switches outside of min before second flight. Wow
Really hard to know how to evaluate Altior. Either he absolutely hated the ground, but still won because he was much the best. In which case, you can double the winning distance on good ground. Or he was struggling with the speed of the race and won because his stamina was much better. So he'd be worse on good ground. Or he was idling through the race, which would be worrying and maybe would be better with headgear. I'm thinking mainly 1, but with a bit of 3.
Incredible Altior I love him what a Horse
Altior is top notch, he beat them easy and not at 100%. The sign of a champion
Your talking though your pockets I guess
Sick that douvan fell .. would have been a quality finish
I doubt it, Altior is the superstar here.
What a horse!! Half the size of the rest aswel...crazy
Nico de Boinville said after the race that Altior absolutely hated the conditions. However, the horse must possess a fantastic engine and simply went into overdrive up that Cheltenham hill.
What a champion.
What a monster that change of gear up hill just devastating nothing gonna stop him from a another champion chase 2019 shame hel be 3s on.
His a machine
I truly believe the bookies will get hit big time with his Wednesday
Cheltenham
Fine performance by Altior, but the real test will come when both he and Douvan get round in a race. Only then will we know who is genuinely the best two mile chaser of his generation.
station ofdreams, there will be no real test between altior and douvan, douvan doesn't have the power that altior has especially when it comes to the last fence and pulling a way, Altior slaughtered special tiara in the whitebread chase last year he went passed him like he was standing still. I suppose you could say Altior problem is that he is not a spectacular as Sprinter Sacre, take the two ss was a show off and he knew he was the best, Altior is a little terrier he runs like an ordinary horse but has an extra 3 gears but it doesn't come across like ss.
M8 had Douvan bn brought down at that fence or been unsighted that could've gave him an excuse then fair enough but being labelled the best chaser is not just looking the part & having a high cruising speed & the ability to sustain a good gallop, It also involves jumping & maintaining the partnership! Douvan was a helluva horse but not quite as gd or as dependable as Altior imo.
@@barbaradyson6951 Couldn't agree more with your comparison between the old Henderson 2 Barbara, I know it's difficult 2 compare Horses who didn't run against each other or from different eras but imo I think that each at their peak SS would win but what I did find a little strange was that Nico has stated that Altior is the best horse he's ever sat on & he was SS's work rider!! Perhaps SS was one of those horses that didn't do much at home or maybe he felt because he had so much success on Altior he was swayed in his favour.
Who did you think was the best of those 2 Barbara?
Hopefully Altior vs Douvan in the Celebration Chase
Yes ill agree Altior is special and I belive Douvan is special too hence why I backed him yesterday. Gutted as he was travelling so well but hey the fences are there to be jumped.
However anybody who believes Altior will ever match Sprinter Sacre in my opinion meeds their head examined 😀
Well done Nicky Nico and Altior.
Helps if I could type lol
Great performance from a great horse. Surely he must he rivalling Sprinter Sacre after that. My horse Special Tiara ran an excellent race until that mistake halfway through. A good performance from the reigning champ but it was always going to be hard to retain the crown given the quality of this year's field. Fantastic commentary from Ian Bartlett.
I think the Altior - Sprinter question is very valid after today. A not-100% fit Altior dismantling a top class field. Probably the most stacked QM Champion Chase there has ever been. Min, Douvan, Politologue, Special Tiara, God's Own, Ordinary World. WOW. Any of those horses I just mentioned would have been worthy winners in a normal year.
Poor Min, finishing twice at Cheltenham to Altior. Any other year he would have won his race by 5 lengths. He has just run into a freak. The form of that Supreme of 2016 is crazy, the 3rd Buveur Dair has since gone onto win back-to-back Champion Hurdles. Mental.
Un De Sceaux is a good benchmark, a top quality horse in its own right, Sprinter made Un De Sceaux look like a Perth handicapper in july.
Min is also clearly an exceptional horse, probably comparable to Un De Sceaux in terms of form and level. I just think the way Sprinter effortlessly dismantled Un De Sceaux, yet Altior had to "try" to best Min, would still give it to Sprinter for me. Remember that Sprinter doing this to Un De Sceaux was 2.5-3 years after his prime, after all the injuries. I think Sprinter at his top level was still a bit better than Altior is, albeit Altior is clearly an absolutely phenomenal racehorse. They are without question the best 2 Champion Chasers there have been in decades. Moscow Flyer and Azertyuiop were nowhere near the level of Sprinter or Altior, and people are being nostalgic and deluded if they think they were. I'd argue Min and Un De Sceaux were probably better horses than Moscow Flyer, no disrespect to the great horse!
CrushRAVids the most stacked champion chase ever? Min is rated 10 pounds worse than Moscow Flyers two main opponents. Douvan very well when he departed. That might not have meant anything if he had stood up but we just don't know. I look forward to them clashing again.
People aren't deluded if they have a different opinion than you. It's only deluded to have the egotism to believe that you know (for sure) that a horse that won yesterday is much better than a horse that finished racing 13 years ago. My own feeling is that few champions of the last 20 years would have beaten Altior on yesterday's performance. Master Minded, Moscow Flyer and Sprinter Sacre. I can't know for sure..
We hail a new champion chaser. Altior could be as good as Sprinter Sacre. Has emulated the great 2m chaser by achieving the Arkle/Champion Chase double. The winner is out of a Derby winner, High Chaparral. Ian Bartlett also commentated the Gold Cup. He, Mark Johnson and Simon Holt are top commentators, the latter most notably for many years with Channel 4.
Remember Arkle was rated 212 against Sprinter Sacre on 192. .......20lbs superior. Meaning if Sprinter Sacre carried 10 stone 9 lbs and Arkle 12 stone then Arkle would still win.
andy Elliott arkles rating has been questioned as being exaggerated, which it has, he was a good chaser who carried top weight a lot of the time, but so did desert orchid, who won more races over various distances, in the irish grand national arkle carried top weight 12 7 and beat his rival by 1 and half lengths, desert orchid carried top weight 12 2 and beat his rival by 15 lengths, plus how could arkle be classified as the greatest when he only won the Cheltenham gold cup 3 times, try golden miller who won the Cheltenham gold cup 5 times and a grand national in between, and also set the course record which was eventually broken by red rum in 1973 and that was broken by mr frisk in think 82 or 83 plus the timeform rating wasn't around in GM day.
That is a very willing horse.
i wonder what happened to ar mad he disappeared very quickly I hope he is alright.
What is this announcer's name??
legend. who doubts him now?
mjackson17 im fancing douvan next race. Patrick was very positive bout him amd he was travelling best before he fell
DJ Jesus He Died For Our Spins yep was travelling great, shame he fell. Will probably be better ground at Aintree though, so we'll see an even better Altior; he wont be coming off the bridle as easily. And clearly Douvan's jumping can't be relied upon when push comes to shove...
Travelling means nothing. Altior finds gears that no other horse has and would have outbattled douvan up the hill in my opinion
DJ Jesus He Died For Our Spins how can you say that after watching that? Altior travelled worse than most of them and still won by 5 or 6 going away! I'd take a horse with the gears and guts like altior than anything that cruises through a race and finds nothing off the bridle all day long!!
i hear ruby has broken something
This aussie loves jumps racing its a shame we don't seem to have as much of it nowadays I love watching the uk and irish jumps especially aintree its on my bucket list of events to see as well as an ashes test at lords mind you were shit at the moment and the poms would fair smash us lol altior is the winx of jumps racing what a great champion
Altior retired this week. I hope one day u get to see Cheltenham and feel the atmosphere of the 4 day meeting. Jump racing's olympics. Also Happy birthday Winx got up very early to watch her in her races. Legend
This was the only time for Douvan to fall.
It was far too early to tell whether Douvan would have made an impact towards the finish and at 2 out Altior seemed to be struggling where as Min was cruising and looked all over the winner. Nevertheless Nico never gave up and kept pushing away at Altior and they galloped all the way up the hill. What a horse!! Would love to see Douvan and Altior clahing again tho!
'Never gave up'? lol Altior was only ever being nudged along coming down the hill on ground it doesn't like. Horse had tons left in the tank. Horse's don't roll down hills, they have 4 legs and a bloke on top. It's very common to see horses need a nudge down that hill. You're talking like he was under the whip 3 fences out ffs. The horse was never 'struggling'.
i miss ruby im 11 years old im ruby 2. i ride horses
One of the best Champion Chasers we've seen! But not on the level of Sprinter Sacre/Moscow Flyer. They don't get up the hill like Altior, but they never hit a flat spot and would be clear before Altior could reach them. I think an RPR of 183 is an over-reaction.
At their best I would say you're probably right but you have to acknowledge that the horse didn't like that ground at all. Reminded me of Desert Orchid in 89 when he too hated the bad ground but battled up the hill. First time I saw Altior at Kempton on Boxing Day 2015 and I was blown away by his turn of foot. OK, it wasn't the greatest race that day, but he won the race in a few strides. A mythical race with Sprinter & Moscow would ultimately come down to the ground, the course and tactics. On decent ground somewhere like Kempton he'd have too much for those two I reckon. On bad ground at Cheltenham he'd struggle.
This was my favourite race of the 2018 festival...even though I had money on Native River, Penhill and Summerville Boy and not a penny on Altior!
I agree with sprinter sacre but not Moscow flyer and how is it a over reaction he’s destroyed horses rated 170+
Watch a replay Moscow Flyers 2005 Champion Chase and ask if you're confident Altior would beat him with something in hand. He very well might, but I think it's hard to be confident. Also, I'm not entirely on the form of Min, destroying an old Special Tiara on soft ground the time before. We'll see if he carries his form to Aintree or Punchestown, and hopefully have a clearer picture of where they're at :)
U
@sc00bydoo10 sprinter was a better traveller but altior would of got him as he finishes stronger than the rest it would be a great race and to win sprinter would need a big lead as altior fiinishes much better
What an example of what a horse can be, not very often you see see a horse with such an engine and an even bigger heart. Lame two days before he ran and still made good horses look like donkeys
Why on earth did Mullins put an amateur up on his best horse returning from a year off in a Championship race. The likes of Johnson and Geraghty were available - crazy decision!
9pwss camel. please don't slag off amateurs, some are as good as professional jockeys, and if he rides douvan at home every day then he would know the horse inside out. Same as nico, he rode sprinter sacre out every day and believe me you DO get to know your horse and his quirks.
Barbara Dyson. I didn’t slag off amateurs and doubtless they can get to know the quirks of a horse they are associated with but, if you have a choice then why choose to put up an amateur jockey who’s ridden in just 58 chases over the last 5 years as against a top notch professional who has ridden in hundreds of chases? Imo it’s an irrational decision irrespective of whether the horse won or fell (as it did for the first time in 14 races). The trainer’s explanation was that his son had ridden it once before at Leopardstown and it had jumped well in winning. Fair enough, and it’s connections’ call as to who rides but still not the most rational call to my mind. Surprised so little was made of it by the racing media.
9pwss camel as I said the jockey who has only ridden 58 times PROBABLY RIDES HIM OUT EVERYDAY AT HOME, and besides that walsh chose to ride min instead, I DO WISH ARMCHAIR PUNDITS WOULD GO AND WORK WITH HORSES THEN MAKE STATEMENTS AFTERWARDS,.
Barbara Dyson Barbara, firstly you stated I had slagged off amateurs: I hadn’t. Now you say Walsh was down to ride Min: he wasn’t. He was declared to ride Douvan. Whether Paul Townend on Min had the option to switch to Douvan I don’t know - I surmise not based on Mullins’ stated reason for putting his son up. Notwithstanding there are plenty of stable staff riding out horses in training and aware of individual horses’ quirks, near 100% of horses are ridden in races by professional jockeys for the patently obvious reason that it maximises the chance of winning. Racing is a professional sport and the Champion Chase is arguably the most demanding ride a jockey can face with horses going like the clappers over the demanding fences. Hence, my astonishment that connections didn’t find a top rank professional to replace Walsh when plenty were available. In response to a perfectly valid observation, you seem to have gone off on some tangent, going to war on behalf of amateurs, getting your facts wrong and descending into screaming caps in the process.
It amazes me how people seem to know better than the trainers of these great horses.
you could say douvan jumped like a novice.
Altior wasn't even trying until he got over the last. Look how wide his ears were all the way round and only flicked them back in concentration after the last. I dare say a more interested Altior and good or good to soft going and he would have won this by a distance.
i hear ruby has broken something
Douvan would have won this race easily but for his fall he had altior beat trust me he will be back nxt yr
Rubbish
@@andrewduggan1018 Oh Dear where is Douvan this year
@@old65rocker hes injured good job he is hed have eaten u and altior old boy
@@andrewduggan1018 I doubt very much if you will see Douvan on a racecourse again.
@@old65rocker probably not ..
Altior is definitely not as good as people think he is Footpad ran the Arkle 5 seconds faster and the ground was softer on the Tuesday.
Michael Lawler rubbish
look at the times on the racing post
Good horse.Deffo not a great yet.Sprinter at his best would have destroyed him.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Douvan is ok pw has never ride douvan towned on douvan perfect not pw
Win a gold cup.
rosser man this is a ridiculous comment
Altior is a cat
Rubbish
someone needs the sack
The hill wouldv come far too late for Altior had Douvan not fallen. He's good but definitely vulnerable and I think we'll see the flag lowered in Cheltenham. Big call I know.
Top horse but the comparisons to sprinter sacre are silly. A pre heart problem Sprinter was on a whole different level
Such an animal abuse. The horses are running to death. Human stupidity is infinitely.
The horses accually love it..and they get treated like royalty
Loved how he sprinted past Min like the he was a lead horse in a price of work would been the same if Douvan could of stayed up
comparing altior to sprinter sacre is ridiculous altior wouldnt of even won this race if douvan stayed on his feet
Agree.
Let me lend that crystal ball when you're finished with it. Cheers.
but this is jump racing and douvan didnt stay on hes feet meaning the superior animal was altior.The commentator couldnt of said it better nico de boinville produces altior and he just powers away . simple win on testing ground
That's utter rubbish! Douvan couldn't beat Un de Sceaux off level weights at Punchestown after the QMCC. Altior has just today put Un de Sceaux firmly in his place in the Tingle Creek at Sandown, again in absolutely atrocious conditions. Altior is the best two mile chaser in training, bar none.
@@quidnunc2436 Using that run shows you know fuck all about racing. You must be very new to it. During Cheltenham 2017 Douvan suffered a horrific injury and has never been the same. Prior to that he destroyed classy horses like Sizing John by 18 lengths. He'd won 13 in a row when he suffered that horrific injury.
I suggest you go and watch some of Douvan prior to his injuries newbie. He was an unreal horse. His runs back then make Altior look like shit. It's sad to watch Douvan now getting beat by horses he'd have walloped by 20 lengths when at his best.
Unbelievable commentary, it still blows my mind how effortless they can make such amazing calls