How an initial £20 bet on Altior could have snowballed into almost £84,000
By Andy Stephens
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
Nineteen races, nineteen wins - Andy Stephens reflects on how an opportunity to make a fortune has passed us by.
If only. Two small words that feature in the vocabulary of all punters.
Even with the all-conquering Altior, they are still applicable.
Nicky Henderson's star is one of those rare beasts in the betting jungle. Nineteen runs over jumps have yielded nineteen wins. You cannot say fairer than that.
If only we had anticipated it.
If only we had placed a £20 win bet on Altior when he made his hurdling debut in the autumn of 2015 and then vowed to play up any winnings every time he subsequently ran.
Assuming you had held your nerve (and found a bookmaker willing to take your bet) then the initial £20 would have by now grown to £83,937, plus 53 pence.
No doubt it would have been more, too, had you snaffled the odd early price along the way, rather than taken SP.
Below is how Altior would have effectively given you licence to print your own money – and put you in a position to have a £84,000 punt on him making it 20 out of 20 when he reappears in the Christy 1965 Chase at Ascot on Saturday.
If only.
Altior has soared to great heights over jumps (Racingfotos)
2015
October 10: Altior makes his hurdling bow at Chepstow and waltzes home by 34 lengths.
BET: £20 win at 5-6 returns £36.67
October 31: Follows up against eight rivals at Ascot.
BET: £36.67 at 4-5 returns £66
November 15: Digs deep to win by half a length at Cheltenham.
BET: £66 at 2-1 returns £198
December 26: Romps home by 13 lengths at Kempton.
BET: £198 at 11-8 returns £470
2016
March 15: Surges to a seven-length win over Min in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. Buveur D’Air is third and the also-rans include Supasundae and Bellshill.
BET: £470 at 4-1 returns £2352
November 21: makes his chasing debut at Kempton and beats sole rival Black Corton by 63 lengths.
BET: £2352 at 2-13 returns £2713
December 3: Wins the Grade One Henry VIII Novices’ Chase by six lengths from Charbel.
BET: £2713 at 2-7 returns £3489
December 27: Similar to Kempton the previous year – wins easily by 18 lengths. See Nicky Henderson's interview below.
BET: £3489 at 1-9 returns £3876.
2017
February 11: Beats older and more experienced rivals in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury after being heavily backed. Beats Fox Norton by 13 lengths.
BET: £3876 at 30-100 returns £5039
March 14: Workmanlike in winning the Arkle at Cheltenham by six lengths.
BET: £5039 at 1-4 returns £6299
April 29: Exhibition stuff in the Celebration Chase at Sandown as he beats Special Tiara by eight lengths.
BET: £6299 at 30-100 returns £8188
2018
February 10: Absent for 287 days and returning from wind surgery, he is again well backed and beats Politologue to land a second Game Spirit.
BET: £8188 at 1-3 returns £10,918
March 14: Stays on strongly to beat Min by seven lengths in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham after trading at more than 7-1 in-running.
BET: £10,918 at Evens returns £21,836
April 28: Again stays on strongly to land a second Celebration Chase.
BET: £21,836 at 2-11 returns £25,806
December 6: Making his seasonal return after 224 days off, he masters Un De Sceaux by four lengths in the Tingle Creek back at Sandown.
BET: £25,806 at 8-13 returns £41,687
December 27: Easy pickings at Kempton as he wins by 19 lengths.
BET: £41,687 at 1-8 returns £46,898
2019
January 19: An eighth Grade One success as he beats Fox Norton by seven lengths easing up in the Clarence House Chase at Ascot.
BET: £46,898 at 1-10 returns £52,761
March 13: Retains his Champion Chase crown at Cheltenham. Altior traded Evens in-running after Politologue and Sceau Royal threatened to overhaul him, but he pulled out extra in the closing stages.
BET: £52,761 at 4-11 returns £71,946
April 27: The opening 1-4 shrunk to 1-6 (that can make quite a difference when you are staking £71,000) and this time Altior's supporters never had much to worry about as he bowled along in the lead and kept on stoutly to keep Sceau Royal at bay.
BET: £71,9461 at 1-6 returns £83,937 (and 53 pence)
November 23: Would you be brave enough to keep te bet rolling and stake £84,000 on Altior winning up in distance, up against Cyrname?
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