Three Horses That Take The Eye This Weekend

Chantry House is a horse we have been following for a very long time since joining the respected yard of Nicky Henderson and bought by leading owner JP McManus after winning a point to point impressively back in December 2018.

His first outing during his rules career for Henderson came at Warwick in a decent enough bumper where he bolted up in heavy conditions.

He saw off the progressive Edwardstone that day that has since gone on to win two of his three challenges over hurdles including when beating Fidlerontheroof who has franked that form when winning the Grade One Tolworth Hurdle.

Chantry House subsequently has made his debut over hurdles and that came at Cheltenham on the Friday of their December meeting and although needing the run managed to cosily get up close home to land a nice Novice Hurdle event.

Again this races has since seen the form been massively franked with second placed Stolen Silver winning a nice Grade Two last time out which included a photo-finish with Edwardstone.

Also fourth placed that day was Pileon for Philip Hobbs and the gelding after being beaten by Chantry House has hosed upon two occasions.

The six year old looks to have a very bright future and if winning comfortably again on Saturday could go to the top of the Supreme Novice Hurdle betting.

Altior has had a very frustrating season to date picking up little niggles and also losing his unbeaten run in his only run of the season over his first try over an extended trip and after missing the Grade One Clarence House Chase he will now be seen in the Game Spirit Chase at Newbury this weekend.

The 10 year old can only be entered in the Champion Chase at the festival but having not ran at that trip all season he will need to get at least one run in before he heads to Prestbury Park in March and it looks like it will be here.

Henderson believes something has not been right ever since his run at Ascot when losing his 19 race unbeaten streak to Cyrname in the Grade Two 1965 Christy Chase and since then he has had an abscess in one of his legs and also not taken well to the antibiotics to relieve that.

However, he does still have time to turn his season around and we must not forget he is one of the all time great national hunt horses that owes the sport nothing at all but if he could be in prime condition for a crack at a hat-trick of Champion Chases at Cheltenham then it would be one of the training performances of the season.

Altior has a close connection to the Game Spirit chase having won the event in 2017 and 2018 in is lead up to the festival.

The final horse that will shine this weekend is the crowd favourite Native River who will be having his final race before heading to his fourth Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Native River is a once in a lifetime horse landing big races consistently throughout his career like the Welsh Grand National, Cheltenham Gold Cup and last time out getting back to winning ways in the Many Clouds Chase at Aintree.

The 10 year old has already previously landed the Denman Chase back in 2017 and 2018 and it acts as the perfect prep run before he heads to the Cheltenham Gold Cup again.

This time around the odds on shot will not be ridden by his normal rider the Champion Jockey Richard Johnson due to him breaking his arm.

He will be ridden for the first time by the up and coming young pretender Jonjo O'Neill with his trainer Colin Tizzard very happy to give the youngster a big chance.