Queen Mother Champion Chase 2020

[billymag]

If Altior wins the KG hes going down the GC route, till he proves he doesnt stay. I absolutely applaud connections for having a go at this.

[Lobos]

If Altior wins the KG hes going down the GC route, till he proves he doesnt stay. I absolutely applaud connections for having a go at this.

Agree, owners have ultimate decision but, after Saturday, they will realise their error. Altior will sadly have lost his unbeaten record when he could have retired in 16 months time, unbeaten over hurdles/fences and having won 4 champion chases. Will people then say it was worth taking the risk?......no.

[jack1092]

Agree, owners have ultimate decision but, after Saturday, they will realise their error. Altior will sadly have lost his unbeaten record when he could have retired in 16 months time, unbeaten over hurdles/fences and having won 4 champion chases. Will people then say it was worth taking the risk?......no.

Losing One race will hardly worry them too much lobos he’s been beaten before.

Ballsy decision and fair play to them. People moan when trainers and owners opt for the easy option continually, they go for it and now they are slated here

[Humble Pie]

If Altior wins the KG hes going down the GC route, till he proves he doesnt stay. I absolutely applaud connections for having a go at this.

With you 100%
A case of Damned if you do and Damned if you don’t .
Good luck to Altior wherever he runs , personally think he’s not a GC horse but then he could prove me and many others wrong

[Scooby91]

Agree, owners have ultimate decision but, after Saturday, they will realise their error. Altior will sadly have lost his unbeaten record when he could have retired in 16 months time, unbeaten over hurdles/fences and having won 4 champion chases. Will people then say it was worth taking the risk?......no.

Any particular way you think he'll lose? cyrname is going to go off at quite the pace, altior is deffinately not going to be tanking all over him, he'll likely be off the bridle to attempt to make up the ground. Of which I believe he'll come back on it and pick him up going away.

Despite what nicky touts, hes never once looked like hes full of pace, staying has always been his main attribute.

[Lobos]

Any particular way you think he'll lose? cyrname is going to go off at quite the pace, altior is deffinately not going to be tanking all over him, he'll likely be off the bridle to attempt to make up the ground. Of which I believe he'll come back on it and pick him up going away.

Despite what nicky touts, hes never once looked like hes full of pace, staying has always been his main attribute.

Altior has not gone a yard over 2 miles in 20 odd races. It'll be a shock to the system suddenly making him go nearly 50% further again. He's finished his races the strongest over 2 miles for one reason.......he's a 2 miler NOT that he needs to go further. If Cyrname bombs on Saturday, Altior could still come out on top but he won't win the KG. You'll see him again on the Wednesday in March, not Friday.

[Quevega]

Altior has not gone a yard over 2 miles in 20 odd races. It'll be a shock to the system suddenly making him go nearly 50% further again. He's finished his races the strongest over 2 miles for one reason.......he's a 2 miler NOT that he needs to go further. If Cyrname bombs on Saturday, Altior could still come out on top but he won't win the KG. You'll see him again on the Wednesday in March, not Friday.

It's not 50% further FFS.
It's actually 20%.
They'll go less than 1mph (2mph) at most slower on average.

[Quevega]

Any particular way you think he'll lose? cyrname is going to go off at quite the pace, altior is deffinately not going to be tanking all over him, he'll likely be off the bridle to attempt to make up the ground. Of which I believe he'll come back on it and pick him up going away.

Despite what nicky touts, hes never once looked like hes full of pace, staying has always been his main attribute.

I could see the scenario you paint as panning out.
But I think it's a coin toss.
The performance Cyrname put in against a very good field (better overall than anything Altior has faced in the one race). When he pinged every fence and landed running, let them come to him at three out and then accelerated away to win 17L was awesome.
I cannot get that out of my head.
but it's coin toss, as I can see the vision you portray as having the same chance.
I'll only bet if the price is right in Saturday, probably whoever id the bigger price to be fair.

[Lobos]

It's not 50% further FFS.
It's actually 20%.
They'll go less than 1mph (2mph) at most slower on average.

Talking about 3 miles. 50% of 2 miles was a mile at my school. Doesn't matter what speed they go at, if a horses limit in top class races is 2 miles then they'll be found out over further.

[Quevega]

Talking about 3 miles. 50% of 2 miles was a mile at my school. Doesn't matter what speed they go at, if a horses limit in top class races is 2 miles then they'll be found out over further.

That's still 33%, at my school. But it can viewed both ways (I prefer mine in this context)
And your second sentence is nonsense. They've not had lithium batteries attached.

[billymag]

Altior has not gone a yard over 2 miles in 20 odd races. It'll be a shock to the system suddenly making him go nearly 50% further again. He's finished his races the strongest over 2 miles for one reason.......he's a 2 miler NOT that he needs to go further. If Cyrname bombs on Saturday, Altior could still come out on top but he won't win the KG. You'll see him again on the Wednesday in March, not Friday.

Not sure if anyone uses the "dark art of" Dosage but using the Dosage figures of Altior he has theoretically got more Stamina on pedigree than these previous Gold Cup winners (only gone back to 2010):
Sizing John
Don Cossack
Bobs Worth (practically the same)
Synchronished
Imperial Commander

Might be a dangerous assumption to rule him out of a King George at this stage.

[Lobos]

Great debate. We'll all find out soon enough. Just brilliant to have superstars like Altior or we'd have nothing to talk about.

[Scooby91]

Altior has not gone a yard over 2 miles in 20 odd races. It'll be a shock to the system suddenly making him go nearly 50% further again. He's finished his races the strongest over 2 miles for one reason.......he's a 2 miler NOT that he needs to go further. If Cyrname bombs on Saturday, Altior could still come out on top but he won't win the KG. You'll see him again on the Wednesday in March, not Friday.

So your saying at the strength he runs through the line every single race after hes come back on to the bridle. he'd literally run out of steam just after?

His challenge will just be delayed a little longer, and he'll have more time to be gathered together by nico.

[Kevloaf]

The theory that Altior is actually a stayer, and just has so much class that he's been able to win at 2 miles for so long now is one I hope gets proven correct.


He won the Supreme looking fast, but that throws up stayers...and I completely agree with scooby that despite what Henderson says about how much pace he has, we rarely see it in his races.

It's impossible to have watched Altior in any 2 mile chase and not think visually he looks best in the final furlong... that is not the trait of a horse without stamina.

He probably still has a better turn of foot than loads of other horses, but he's still a stayer.

[Can't Catch Me]

As others said, I applaud the owners for having a go. Nobody knows how he will fare stepped up in trip, but at least this way, he won't retire with them wondering.

If he does stay, he has the potential to be one of the very best of all time.