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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Tony Paley

Christmas holiday racing: Altior beaten by Nube Negra – as it happened

Nube Negra beat favourite Altior into second in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton.
Nube Negra beat the favourite Altior into second in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/PA

Altior lives to fight another day

The dual Champion Chase winner Altior was the horse everyone wanted to see on Christmas holiday Sunday and this time, unlike at Sandown earlier this month, he turned up. However, it wasn’t the Altior we all know of old who turned up but one, on the evidence of his well-beaten second to Nube Negra, who looks very much a shadow of his great, former self. Trainer Nicky Henderson seemed adamant that this wasn’t going to be the final appearance for the high-class chaser and said it was likely to be the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury in the new year that would be the acid test for his brilliant performer. That suggests the trainer has left something to work on and I would not be at all surprised to see a much sharper Altior next time he’s seen on the track. But even if Altior is back to something like his best he’s going to have a tough fight on to regain his Champion Chase crown with Chacun Pour Soi now the clear 6-4 favourite after his win at Leopardstown today. Altior, meanwhile, is now 12-1 for that Grade One prize at the Cheltenham Festival in March. It may be that by the time of the third Wednesday in March we should have had our eyes more focused on Ireland than action in the UK. That’s a wrap for today and this year – I do hope you’ve enjoyed the live blogging throughout the year and look forward to you joining me here for the Cheltenham Festival in the spring.

Paul Townend rides Chacun Pour Soi to victory at Leopardstown on Sunday.
Paul Townend rides Chacun Pour Soi to victory at Leopardstown on Sunday. Photograph: PA

“I would be very surprised if that’s the end. It’s not a knockout blow and it was his first run for a very long time.” Nicky Henderson says it’s not retirement yet for Altior after the horse’s lacklustre defeat in the Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton. You can read all the news in my full report here:

Ladbrokes Handicap Chase (Kempton 3.05pm) result

1 Royale Pagaille (Charlie Deutsch) 9-2 Fav
2 Cap Du Nord (Jack Tudor) 6-1
3 Double Shuffle (James Bowen) 14-1
11 ran
Also: 6-1 Mellow Ben 4th
Non Runners: 9,10

Paddy Power Chase (2.55pm Leopardstown) result

1 Castlebawn West (P Townend) 13-2
2 Minella Times 14-1
3 Farclas 17-2
4 Trainwreck 50-1
22 ran
Also: 11-2 Fav Lock’s Corner
Non Runners: Elwood, Run Wild Fred, Scoir Mear

Paddy Power Chase (2.55pm Leopardstown) preview

The big betting race of the Christmas meeting and a huge field, as ever, going to post. Jonjo O’Neill’s Lock’s Corner, in the JP McManus silks, is a rare challenger from a British stable and the market has taken note, with Mark Walsh’s mount currently heading the betting at around 11-2. This is always one of the most competitive handicap chases of the year, however, and others make more appeal at current odds. Gordon Elliott will have high hopes that Farclass will brighten up his self-isolation after a positive test for coronavirus, but Joseph O’Brien’s novice Home By The Lee could be the one they all have to beat. He was a decent third behind Envoi Allen inthe Grade One Drinmore Novice Chase last time and won a Grade Three at Cork in November in a notably fast time.

Desert Orchid Chase (2.30pm Kempton) result

1 Nube Negra (Harry Skelton) 20-1
2 Altior (Nico de Boinville) Evens Fav
3 Duc Des Genievres (H Cobden) 13-2
6 ran
Also: 9-2 Rouge Vif 4th

Updated

Desert Orchid Chase (2.30pm Kempton)

Sceau Royal needs to have his shoe checked by the farrier so there will be a little delay ... you can get 11-10 about Altior now ... Sceau is having a brand new shoe on and the farrier is working away gallantly ... he’s finished, won’t be long now ... Altior 10-11 at the off ... Rouge Vif has set off fast with Global Citizen and Altior is towards the rear ... Global Citizen just has a lead with a circuit to go and Alitor is in fourth ... Duc Des Genieveres jumps to the lead and Sceau Royal has fallen ... with Altior moving up to second... Altior being pushed along a little ... The Duc still leads and Altior tries to challenge but it’s hard work ... Nube Negra goes well ... Dc leads but Nube Negra takes the lead with Altior staying on slowly ... Nube Negra wins from a one-paced Altior!

Updated

Desert Orchid Chase (2.30pm Kempton) preview

Ten months on from his last appearance, a few days before his 11th birthday and after several false starts, Altior is back and predictably odds-on as he set off towards another tilt at the Champion Chase in March. He has plenty in hand on the official ratings but makes little appeal at cramped odds and the second-season chaser Rouge Vif, who ran well to finish third on his Grade One debut over fences last time, is a more attractive bet at around 8-1.

Castleford Handicap Chase (2.10pm Wetherby) result

1 First Flow (David Bass) 11-10 Fav
2 Eragone (Miss Becky Smith) 25-1
3 The King Of May (B S Hughes) 5-1
5 ran
Also: 3-1 Marracudja 4th
Non Runner: 1

Updated

Here’s Nicky Henderson with final thoughts on Altior before the horse’s run in the 2.30pm.

Updated

Castleford Handicap Chase (2.10pm Wetherby)

And they’re off ...Marracudja takes a lead and is about five lengths clear of First Flow ... and only three fences left as they are missing a fair few out today ... The King Of May is in third ... First Flow is pushed along and The King Of May goes best ... he has the lead at the last but First Flow challenges again and just hodls on from the fast-finishing Eragone.

Updated

Castleford Handicap Chase (2.10pm Wetherby) preview

Kim Bailey and David Bass have been in irrepressible form all season and First Flow should be able to continue his rise up the weights and complete a five-timer in the process. Nuts Well is the obvious danger.

Future Champions Novice Hurdle (Leopardstown 1.45pm) result

1 Appreciate It (P Townend) 7-4 Fav
2 Irascible 16-1
3 Keskonrisk 16-1
9 ran
Non Runner: Dewcup

Updated

Future Champions Novice Hurdle (Leopardstown 1.45pm)

And they’re off ... Appreciate It and Fire Attack set off at the front with the latter going on before the first flight ... Ballyadam is close enough in third ... Jesse Evans is last ... Fire Attack stuttered into the third flight ... but still leads with Appreciate It in second ... Fire Attack kicks on ... one flight left ... Appreciate It and Ballyadam start to quicken up ... Appreciate It takes the lead ... and kicks clear for an easy win.

Updated

Wayward Lad Novice Chase (1.20pm Kempton) result

1 Shishkin (Nico de Boinville) 1-3 Fav
2 Tamaroc Du Mathan (H Cobden) 10-1
3 Elusive Belle (Mr S Waley-Cohen) 10-1
4 ran

Updated

Future Champions Novice Hurdle (Leopardstown 1.45pm) preview

This field includes several highly promising young novices including Ballyadam, the current favourite for the Supreme Novice Hurdle in March, and Appreciate It, the beaten favourite in last season’s Champion Bumper and an easy winner of his first start over hurdles at Cork in November. Ballyadam has Grade One winning form already in the Royal Bond Hurdle but all the money this morning is for Appreciate it – he is currently 2-1 favourite – and the hint could be worth taking.

Wayward Lad Novice Chase (1.20pm Kempton)

And they’re off ... Gumball has shot off in the lead ... Shishkin is chasing him about five lengths behind ... they’ve closed up on the leader now ... and Shishkin is upsides Gumball ... Tamaroc Du Mathan is in third ... Shishkin now just about in the lead on the home turn but it’s close ... Gumball makes a mistake and Shishkin leads from Tamaroc and jumps the last in good style to win with plenty in hand.

Updated

Worcester racing is off ... for the forseeable furture!

A man kayaks on a flooded Worcester racecourse after Storm Bella”brought gales and heavy rain to the West Midlands.
A man kayaks on a flooded Worcester racecourse after Storm Bella”brought gales and heavy rain to the West Midlands. Photograph: Cameron Smith/Getty Images

Paddy's Rewards Club Chase (1.10pm Leopardstown) result

1 Chacun Pour Soi (P Townend) 4-7 Fav
2 Notebook 7-2
3 Put The Kettle On 13-2
6 ran

Paddy's Rewards Club Chase (1.10pm Leopardstown)

And they’re off ... Annamix and Chacun Pour Soi are the early leaders ... Put The Kettle On is also prominent ... Chacun Pour Soi was a little scrappy over the first in the back straight ... Notebook now comes up to take the lead with Annamix seemingly struggling now ... Chacun Pour Soi and Notebook go on ... Put The Kettle On is struggling in third ... Chacun Pour Soi kicks clear ... they miss the final fence owing to the sun and Chacun is an easy winner.

Updated

Nicky Henderson has just been on ITV talking about Altior, who makes his comeback in the 2.30pm today. “There’s been a lot of water under the bridge since he last ran,” said the Lambourn trainer. Talking about conditions at the track, he said: “There’s soft ground, there’s sticky ground ... the difference between Kempton and Sandown [where he was withdrawn recently] is enormous . He loves jumping fences and that brings him to light and he’s as good as he ever was at that.” He seemed nervy as usual.

Incredible scenes at Kempton in the opener ... luckily all unscathed

Paddy's Rewards Club Chase (1.10pm Leopardstown) preview

Chacun Pour Soi was the beaten favourite in this race last year but was making his seasonal debut and has the benefit of a run this time around. Notebook and Put The Kettle On are both very useful opponents, but Willie Mullins’s chaser should have their measure.

More news ... the Welsh Grand National has been moved to 9 January.

This just in ... you can get even money on Altior (with the Tote) in the 2.30 at Kempton this afternoon, where trainer Nicky Henderson seems sure to be on the nervy side. And he’s available widely at 10-11 (you can track the betting here at Oddschecker). A mybettingsites.co.uk spokesperson said: “Hot favourite Altoir is a surprising drifter as bookmakers are battling for business at Kempton. Although Altoir’s task was made a lot easier by the necessary withdrawal of the dangerous Irish runner Put The Kettle On, the ground at Kempton has changed to soft, and the conditions are not ideal for the soon-to-be 11-year-old.”

How nervous is Nicky (with Altior here).
How nervous is Nicky (with Altior here). Photograph: Steve Davies/racingfotos.com/Rex/Shutterstock

I think French Aseel, an easy winner of the opener at Leopardstown, might just be one to go into your Triumph Hurdle notebooks! #whichwaydidhego

This should be worth watching ... there’s a Dawn Run doc tonight on TV.

Updated

Here’s a bee in my bonnet, a regular complaint which racing in general, which is not especially data savvy, should do better moving forward (ugh!). Can you believe ‘more than a mile [has been] added to advertised race distances at Wetherby this afternoon, including more than a quarter of a mile to the two “3m” chases.’!

The Bryony Frost social media story takes another significant twist ...

The travails of fame and social media ... Bryony Frost, whose exploits in winning the King George on Boxing Day Greg Wood reported on here yesterday, has had an imposter set up a Twitter account in her name, with 4k+ followers already. Frost has called them out on her Instagram and asked people to spread the word that it’s a fake. “I am on Instagram ... no other social media” she points out.

Well that was a busy morning, thanks to Storm Bella which has meant we have lost the Welsh National card at Chepstow and racing at Limerick. It does mean we can concentrate on a very classy card at Leopardstown and the return of Altior at Kempton, where our correspondent Greg Wood is heading now. Greg has previewed the revised races on ITV on our Talking Horses article which you can find here.

Scene setter

Having won all but one of his 16 races over fences, it might seem a little harsh to suggest that Altior has something to prove when he finally returns to action at Kempton Park this afternoon, 10 months on from a win in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury which appeared, at the time, to set up a memorable clash with Chacun Pour Soi in the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham.

Neither horse made it to the starting line in the end, of course, while Altior’s sudden departure from the field three days before the race was the fifth time in the 2019-20 season alone that he had missed a contest that had previously been inked – or at least, heavily pencilled – into his schedule.

The counter moved to six when he was scratched from the Tingle Creek at Sandown earlier this month less than 24 hours beforehand but now, at last, a fortunate few at Kempton Park will finally get to see him in the flesh.

If he is anywhere close to his best, the 4-5 currently on offer about Altior will seem, with hindsight, to be one of the bets of the decade. He is 9lb clear of Sceau Royal, the second-favourite, on official ratings and set off at a much skinner 1-8 when he won this race two years ago.

But that was two years ago and Altior is now within sight of his 11th birthday, which makes the market’s scepticism much easier to understand. There is also little doubt that the Champion Chase in March is the only race on Nicky Henderson’s mind – he said as much when Altior was taken out of the Tingle Creek, much to the annoyance of the Grade One’s sponsor, Betfair – and so he is unlikely to be much more than 80% ready for today’s return. And an 80% Altior in December 2020 could be a very different animal to an 80% Altior in 2018.

It should make for a fascinating race, however, as Duc De Genievres, Sceau Royal and Rouge Vif all have credible chances, and it will be run just an hour after Altior’s stable companion Shishkin, a potential inheritor of his two-mile mantle, goes to post for the Wayward Lad Novice Chase, a race that Altior himself won in 2016 on the way to an odds-on success in the Arkle at Cheltenham.

You can follow all the action and reaction live here throughout the day, while tips for the revised schedule on ITV after the abandonment of Chepstow’s Welsh National card this morning are here.

Altior is back at Kempton on Sunday.
Altior is back at Kempton on Sunday. Photograph: Steve Davies/racingfotos.com/Rex/Shutterstock
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