Ground ‘very important’ to Altior’s Cheltenham bid

Nicky Henderson says Altior's chances of landing a Champion Chase hat-trick at the Cheltenham Festival depends on the conditions.

Altior is the slight favourite at 2/1 in the ante post market, ahead of Defi Du Seuil at 9/4 and Chacun Pour Soi at 5/2.

However, Henderson feels if the ground is good then Altior will be the horse to beat, but soft ground would hand a big advantage to his rivals.

Henderson’s charge struggled on soft ground at Ascot in November, with Altior beaten by Cyrname, and the trainer feels in hindsight he should have declared the horse a non-runner.

‘The ground will be very important [at Cheltenham],’ he told the Racing Post.

‘Defi Du Seuil loves it soft, Chacun Pour Soi I presume will want it soft and we want it good, so it’ll be absolutely crucial, certainly to us – maybe the others are more versatile.’

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