Altior headlines Game Spirit hopefuls

Dynamite Dollars also set for return.

Altior is set to return to make his eagerly-awaited return to action ahead of the Cheltenham Festival in the Win Bigger On The Betfair Exchange Chase at Newbury on Saturday.

The dual Queen Mother Champion Chase hero is among 10 entries for the Grade Two contest, registered as the Game Spirit Chase, in which Nicky Henderson’s ace will try to get back to winning ways following his first defeat in 20 starts at Ascot in November.

That reverse against Cyrname in the Christy 1965 Chase was over two miles and five furlongs, and is his only race of the season so far.

Altior has won this two-mile heat twice before, in 2017 and 2018.

His prospective rivals include Paul Nicholls’ Dynamite Dollars, who has been absent since winning at Doncaster last January.

Nicholls can call on Magic Saint, while Bun Doran, Kalashnikov, Sceau Royal and Simply Ned are among others in the mix.

Henderson is hoping to get Might Bite back on track in the Betfair Denman Chase.

The 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up disappointed in last season’s renewal and nothing has gone right for him in two starts so far this term.

“It will be a nice place for him to go and have a canter round,” said the Seven Barrows handler.

“We are just getting him back. We’ve done a few different things with him and he seems in good form.

“He has been doing lots of schooling and jumping and been having fun.”

Among seven possible rivals for Might Bite is his Gold Cup conqueror, the Colin Tizzard-trained Native River, who took this three-mile heat last winter.

Alan King’s 13-year-old Valdez is another, while Gary Moore has put the former Gordon Elliott-trained A Toi Phil in both this race and the Game Spirit.

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