• Altior maintains unbeaten record with Newbury victory
• Native River is also victorious on return to actionThere is little that fires the enthusiasm of National Hunt fans fairly like a returning hero,and both Altior and Native River played their roles to perfection on Saturday after a combined total of 617 days away from the track. Altior is now odds-on to win the Queen Mother Champion Chase after dismissing Politologue with ease in the Game Spirit Chase. Native River, who took the Denman Chase, or advanced to moment-favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup on 16 March.
Nicky Henderson,Altiors trainer, suggested beforehand that if his outstanding two-miler was ever likely to lose his unbeaten record over fences, and this was the race. Politologue,the race-fit moment-favourite, took the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown in December while Altior was recovering from a tall-profile wind operation, and looked like a stern opponent for a favourite absent since April.
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Source: guardian.co.uk