Nicky Henderson cautious as win machine Altior heads to Ascot

Watch what the champion trainer had to say to Oli Bell on Racing TV at Newbury on Wednesday plus read the latest on Buveur D'Air and a number of his other leading lights.

Altior is on course to try and extend his winning sequence to 17 in the Clarence House Handicap Chase at Ascot but Nicky Henderson insists his stable star is not invincible.

A maximum of three rivals will stand in Altior’s way and the highest-rated chaser in training is no bigger than 2-7 to move a step closer to matching the record 18 successive wins over jumps achieved by Big Buck’s.

However, there will still be 13 obstacles to overcome on Saturday and all the other variables that make National Hunt racing the unpredictable sport it often is.

In a lengthy interview with Oli Bell, on Racing TV, Henderson said: “No horse is invincible. Everything has to go right.

“I know he didn’t have the world to beat at Kempton [last time] but I don’t think you will see a more flawless round. But he’s got to do that again – and he’s got to keep doing it. One day they all get beat.”

Un De Sceaux has won the past three renewals of the Clarence House Chase and his part-owner, Colm O’Connell, said on Wednesday: “We’re leaning towards running, as long as he’s fit and well in the morning.

“At one stage the ground was putting us off. But there’s rain around – and we went over his form again, and he did win a Ryanair on good ground.

“He’s a racehorse at the end of the day, and it would have been hard to take on Saturday seeing a fit and healthy horse stood in his stable when there was a small field for a Grade One he’s won three times already. Ultimately, the decision rests 100 per cent with Willie [Mullins].“

Colin Tizzard has warned that Fox Norton, absent for more than a year, will not run if he considers conditions too lively but Paul Nicholls seems committed to running Diego Du Charmil, albeit he is officially rated 19lb inferior to Altior.

“It’s sad, nobody wants to see four-horse races,” Henderson said. “But we’ve always said this was the way we were going to go and everything has gone well so far. He did a nice piece of work on Saturday.

“Hopefully, he will run here and then we will leave him alone until Cheltenham. It will take us nicely into the Festival.”

The Clarence House Chase was originally known as the Victor Chandler and was run as a handicap for 30 years. But that changed in 2007 when it was promoted to Grade One status.

Henderson said: “There were some great races when it was the Victor Chandler and I’ll never forget one of them – when we had a lovely little horse, Isio, who was getting a stone and a half off Azertyuiop and beat him a head.

“It was one of the greatest steeplechasers I can remember. They battled it out from three out head for head, stride for stride.”

Would he object to it being switched back to a handicap? “You’ve got to have some Grade One races somewhere along the line for the Grade One horses to run in,” he said. “Altior wouldn’t be running if it was a handicap.”

Meanwhile, Buveur D’Air may head straight to Cheltenham without another run as he bids for a third successive victory in the Unibet Champion Hurdle.

The eight-year-old has claimed the two-mile hurdling crown in each of the past two seasons and is a top-priced 13-8 with Betfair to become the sixth three-time winner, despite suffering a shock defeat at the hands of stablemate Verdana Blue in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on his latest outing.

Just as he has in each of the last two years, Buveur D’Air is due to warm up for the Festival by running in the Contenders Hurdle at Sandown on February 2.

However, Henderson said: “I’ve not decided whether to run him or not at Sandown. We have been treating a couple of things since his last run, because he was a bit sore behind. It was so insignificant – but you keep attention to all details.”

Henderson views the Willie Mullins-trained mare Laurina as one of his biggest threats.

He added: “I thought Laurina was absolutely excellent at Sandown the other day. She was only passing trees and bushes, but she looked great.

“She is a fine, big beast of a mare and obviously ploughs through soft ground very well. We have to give her 7lb, and I suppose she is the obvious one from Ireland at the moment, but a lot of things will happen between now and then.”

Henderson also has Verdana Blue, Call Me Lord, Charli Parcs, We Have A Dream and Brain Power in the mix for the Champion Hurdle.

The latter was last seen winning the International Hurdle at Cheltenham and has the option of running in Saturday’s The New One Unibet Hurdle at Haydock.

“I want to see what the ground is like at Haydock. At the moment it is the plan to go there with him,” said Henderson.

The champion trainer also outlined plans for several of his other leading lights.

He suggested Mister Fisher, rather than Angels Breath, would represent him in the Sky Bet Supreme Trial Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock on Saturday.

“We have got Angels Breath and Mister Fisher in at Haydock, but there might be a change in that Mister Fisher goes there," Henderson said.

“We are just looking at trach washes and maybe we will juggle the pack around a bit. I need to see what comes out of Angels Breath’s trach wash.

“We entered Angels Breath at Ascot on Saturday as well, but we only put him in to try and scare them away in that race for Downtown Getaway and Before Midnight – who will both probably run.”

Valtor was a runaway winner on his British bow at Ascot and is set to contest the Peter Marsh Chase on the same card. The ten-year-old, raised 12lb for his victory, is a general 6-1 chance.

“The temptation is to run him there. The English fresh air has suited him a little bit,” Henderson said.

Champ, Terrefort and Adjali have all been pencilled in for Trials Day at Cheltenham on Saturday week, while Rathhill, who flopped at Sandown last time, has undergone tests.

He was found to be lame after the race but Henderson says he is now sound. “We are getting to the bottom of it. Hopefully he will be back shortly,” he said.