Cheltenham Festival: Altior victory puts Henderson within one big win of greatest prize

Cheltenham's greatest trainer claimed his second consecutive feature race at The Festival as the peerless Altior saw off all-comers to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase, with a swaggering and ultimately bullying display that will live long in the memory.

Now all thoughts turn to Friday's Gold Cup, where Henderson's Might Bite could write one of the greatest stories ever told at this fabled meeting.

No trainer has ever won the Festival's Big Three in the same year, until, perhaps, now.

"I'd love to make history but I do think Might Bite has the hardest task of the week," said Henderson. 

"Winning that Gold Cup, it will be tougher than Buveur D'Air's challenge in the Champion Hurdle and Altior's job here. 

"He's in great form and we're really excited to be coming in with such a great chance. We're in it aren't we? Two down and the big one to go but let's enjoy this moment first."

And the bigger picture should not allow Altior's stunning display to become just part of the story - he deserves the spotlight for a day at least, a fitting horse to bring up Henderson's 60th Festival winner.

Despite reports of an injury earlier this week, he was sent off at evens and finished strongly to complete his third win at the Festival ahead of Willie Mullins's charge Min and outsider God's Own.

And the reception that greeted Nico de Boinville as he returned him to the winners' enclosure brought back memories of Henderson's legendary Sprinter Sacre, a double Champion Chase winner.

"It means a lot when you see a horse appreciated like that," added Henderson.

"We had wonderful days here with Sprinter Sacre and he became the public's horse. Some of the scenes we saw today made me reminisce and I can't believe I'm so lucky to find something that's creeping towards his aura.

"There hasn't been much between Altior and Sprinter throughout their careers but you still can't compare them. Sprinter is still the greatest horse I've ever seen and let's just see if we can't do that again. Of course, he needs to win another first so let's wait until next year."

For a while it appeared that the tacky ground didn't suit Altior but in a race with no hiding place, de Boinville turned on the burners three from home and blew away the opposition. It was an injection of electric pace that turned the race in a handful of strides, his finish line dominance total, his status as the best chaser in training now without question.

Douvan, who was expected to present the toughest challenge to Altior, was never in the mix. As the race wound up he found himself detached and he deposited jockey Patrick Mullins, a late call-up for Ruby Walsh, who has reportedly broken his leg, on the turf.

"That was a sensational performance," said de Boinville. "We were in trouble all the way round and he was just hating the ground. His jumping is the one thing that kept him in it and that was a true test.

"I know that he always has those extra gears at the end of a race. He is an incredible horse and I'm lucky to be associated with him and aren't we all to watch him. He's just a freak.

"Sprinter always did the best of his work between three and two out, Altior does his best at the end. I love the way he goes through the line. With his turn of foot – it's like a hot knife through butter."

Sportsbeat 2018