Nicky Henderson, jump racing’s champion trainer, launched an angry defence of his conduct here on Friday in the face of continuing questions raised by his disclosure on Wednesday evening that Altior, the hot favourite for the Champion Chase in March, needed a wind operation and will not be fit to race until after Christmas.
Henderson told viewers of the On The Line programme on At The Races on Monday that last season’s brilliant Arkle Trophy winner was “totally on target” for his much-anticipated return to action in the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown next month.
However, Altior was friendless in the ante-post markets for several hours on Wednesday afternoon before Henderson revealed on Twitter at 7.08pm that last year’s brilliant Arkle Chase winner had a problem and would miss his intended return at Sandown. Five minutes later the trainer’s blog on the website of the gambling firm Unibet disclosed more detail about the matter – “a small issue with his wind whereby his larynx isn’t opening sufficiently” – and also that it had initially surfaced when Altior “made a whistling noise on Saturday”.
The apparent discrepancy between Henderson’s positive quote on Monday and his statement that the first hint of a problem with Altior was two days earlier was swiftly highlighted on social media, along with his unease in the betting in the hours leading up to confirmation that he needed an operation. Henderson, though, said in an interview with ITV Racing on Friday that he did not feel there was anything more he could have done.
“There was no issue on Saturday,” Henderson said. “This started on Tuesday. I’ve just got to say that I am seriously disappointed and incredibly upset with some of the attitudes that have been taken by members of the press, media and television.
“This issue raised its ugly head on Tuesday and … we couldn’t have done this any better, any quicker, any more professionally. And the next thing is, you call it Altiorgate, that’s fine. It’s ridiculous. I am, to say the very least, extremely upset with some of the intonations, the insinuations that have been made.
“You couldn’t have done this any quicker. The only thing I was waiting for on Wednesday was a second opinion, which I got at four o’clock in the afternoon, spoke to the owners and we went to the press immediately.”
Pressed by the interviewer, Matt Chapman, on whether there had been “nothing on Saturday at all”, Henderson said: “If you go to every horse that’s ever made a squeak in your life, I’d spend my whole time sat behind a desk doing nothing. Of course we had a look for a good reason but I had no reason to believe there was anything wrong; there was nothing.
“I’m very disappointed with certain members of the press room and media. I was going to mention them but I’m going to refrain but only just I can assure you.”
Asked after the conclusion of the interview why he had not mentioned Altior’s “whistle” until Wednesday, Henderson said: “What else can I do? There was nothing to tweet about on Saturday. They did the test on Tuesday.”
Pressed on his reference to Saturday in his Unibet blog, he added: “It started on Tuesday for goodness sake, have you not got that yet? They did the test on Tuesday. [The whistle] gave me a reason to do it. It doesn’t mean anything. Come and spend a day with me and I’ll teach you about horses, about which you evidently know nothing.”
Henderson added at the conclusion of his ITV interview that Altior’s wind operation had been carried out on Friday morning.
“What we had to do to him was done this morning without a general anaesthetic,” the trainer said, “and that’s important and a big help. He has two weeks’ box rest, then we can start walking. Time is tight, our only objective is to get to the Champion Chase. How we get there is our job and we will keep everybody posted, but there’s no point in giving bulletins.”
On the track, Finian’s Oscar recorded a poignant success in the colours of the late Alan Potts, who died on Sunday, in the card’s feature event, a two-and-a-half mile novice chase. Bryan Cooper, who was hired to ride Potts’s horses in Britain only a few weeks before his death, galvanised Finian’s Oscar to charge past Movewiththetimes on the climb to the line, having jumped the last with a length to find.
“He did look as though he’d lost the race going into the last a bit,” Colin Tizzard, Finian’s Oscar’s trainer, said. “But going to the last, Bryan was very positive and got a good jump out of him. That’s how good this horse is, because in the end, he won it quite cosily. He’s always got something in the locker.”
Henderson’s runner in the race, William Henry, set off as the 5-2 second-favourite but was pulled up before the eighth fence after his saddle slipped. His trainer registered a win in the closing race, however, as On The Blind Side stayed on strongly to beat Momella in the Grade Two Ballymore Novice Hurdle.
“I’ll be disappointed if we are not back here in a year’s time for one of the novice chases, because that’s what it’s all about,” Henderson said. “If you were to say anything [at the Festival] in March, it would be the Albert Bartlett [over three miles], but that’s a long way off.”
Chris Cook’s Saturday tips
Cheltenham 12.40 Gumball 1.15 West Approach 1.50 Premier Bond 2.25 Tully East (nap) 3.00 Kk Lexion 3.30 Red Indian (nb) 4.00 Holding Pattern
Lingfield 11.55 Gaudi 12.25 Masaarr 1.00 Enigmatic 1.35 Temeraire 2.10 Sacred Act 2.45 Boynton 3.15 Spring Loaded 3.45 Olympic Legend
Uttoxeter 12.20 The Sweeney 12.50 Du Soleil 1.25 Lastbutnotleast 2.00 Bob Ford 2.35 Mozo 3.05 Beau Knight 3.40 Mount Batur
Wetherby 12.30 Cabaret Queen 1.05 Whatduhavtoget 1.40 Early Retirement 2.15 Doctor Glaz 2.50 Spectator 3.20 Get On The Yager 3.50 Schiaparannie
Wolverhampton 5.45 Arty But Poor 6.15 La La Land 6.45 Craving 7.15 Cirrus Minor 7.45 Popsicle 8.15 Bleu Et Noir 8.45 Fast Act 9.15 Hot Mustard
