Talking Horses: Altior primed to return at Kempton for festive meeting

Altior’s seasonal debut has been delayed until the second day of Kempton’s Christmas meeting on 27 December after Nicky Henderson said on Monday the dual Champion Chase winner will not be entered for the rearranged Peterborough Chase following its switch to the first day of Cheltenham’s December meeting on Friday.

Altior was unexpectedly scratched from last Saturday’s Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown the night before the race, with Henderson citing concerns about the going as the reason for his sudden change of heart. The trainer suggested at the time that he might be tempted to run Altior if the Peterborough Chase were rescheduled for Taunton on Thursday, but the decision to run a day later at Cheltenham has confirmed the Desert Orchid Chase on 27 December as the next possible date for his star chaser’s first run since February.

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“Altior won’t be entered, he wouldn’t want two-and-a-half miles around Cheltenham,” Henderson said. “The other day I was thinking it was only two [miles] three [furlongs] at Taunton a few years ago, but I was wrong. That would have made my ears prick on good ground, but he wouldn’t want that trip at Cheltenham.

“Top Notch will definitely run and Mister Fisher will have the option of the Peterborough and the Caspian Caviar [Handicap Chase] on Saturday, I’ll have to speak to his owners.”

What is now an eight-race card for the first meeting at Cheltenham with paying spectators since the Festival in March will start at 11.30am, with the Peterborough Chase now opening ITV4’s coverage at 1.50.

Though Altior will be missing, a long list of leading names are entered to run at Cheltenham, including Gary Moore’s Goshen, whose dramatic departure at the final flight when well clear in the Triumph Hurdle in March left the 70,000 spectators in shock and Jamie Moore, his jockey, distraught.

Goshen has since had two unsuccessful outings on the Flat, but has also missed a couple of intended dates for his first race over jumps since the last-gasp calamity in March, which replays showed to be a freak incident rather than the result of an error by horse or rider.

“It’s been very frustrating, for the owners particularly,” Gary Moore said on Monday, “but I don’t want to run a horse who isn’t 110% right in top-class races. I’m desperate to get to Cheltenham, the only way he wouldn’t run is if he’s not well or there is firm in the going description.

“We’ve messed about with his shoes, but I can’t believe it would happen again. We just make sure there’s no overhang on the shoes, as his back foot caught his front foot. It’s been spoken about too much, it’s boring me now. It was just a freak accident and I’ve completely put it out of my mind.”

Goshen is top-priced at 11-4 for Saturday’s race and at 10-1 for the Champion Hurdle in March.

Tuesday’s best bets

Goshen may be the headline act, but the rest of Gary Moore’s string is also in fine form and Tuesday’s schedule includes a seven-race card at Fontwell, where the trainer has already saddled 11 winners this season.

That is five more than anyone else and he is all but certain to extend his lead in the opener, the appropriately named One More For The Moores Juvenile Hurdle, as Nassalam (12.35) is currently trading at around 1-9.

The family firm has decent prospects too with Call Off The Dogs (1.35), who drops back to a more suitable trip after being stretched over an 25 furlongs last time, but the best bet on the card could be Mike Hawker’s Mortens Leam (2.08), a dual winner over the track and trip.

Mortens Leam has wins elsewhere but does seem to save his best for Fontwell’s figure-of-eight. He also travelled as well as – if not better than – the winner on his return at Kempton in October before lack of fitness told over a long trip. He is up 3lb for that but was beaten less than a length and should improve for the run.

Uttoxeter
12.15 Saint Dalina
12.45 Temple Man
1.15 Northofthewall
1.45 Oneupmanship
2.17 Shallow Run
2.47 Go Steady
3.17 No Risk Des Flos

Fontwell Park
12.35 Nassalam
1.05 Cave Top (nb)
1.35 Call Off The Dogs
2.08 Mortens Leam (nap)
2.38 Little River Bay
3.08 Gars Bar Dine
3.38 Hier Encore

Wolverhampton
1.55 Deftera Lad
2.25 One One Seven
2.55 Regal Eagle
3.25 Shielded
4.00 Sea La Rosa
4.30 Hotalena
5.00 Halfwaytothemoon
5.30 Bad Attitude

Southwell
4.15 Ustath
4.45 Hiroshi
5.15 Carrothers
5.45 Young John
6.15 War Defender
6.45 Loch Ness Monster
7.15 Gorgeous General

Gars Bar Dine (3.08) should also go well on the same card, while Shallow Run (2.17) is the pick of the prices at Uttoxeter. One One Seven (2.25) has a decent record at Wolverhampton, while Ustath (4.15) is still not handicapped out of things on the Fibresand at Southwell.