Altior - Horse Profile: Everything You Need To Know

Altior is one of the greatest ever National Hunt horses. Trained by Nicky Henderson, Altior has won 21 of his 24 races under rules – an impeccable achievement to say the least.

He announced himself to the horse racing world with a bumper victory at Market Rasen in May 2014 and he has since gone on to dominate the two-mile chasing division.

In fact, Altior is arguably the best two-mile chaser of all-time. Only the likes of Sprinter Sacre and Master Minded rivalling the four-time Cheltenham Festival winner.

Here, we look at a legend of the horse racing betting game. Let’s hope Altior can get back to his brilliant best in 2021 as he bids to claim his third Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Altior Career Record

Date Course Position Win Distance (Rival) Odds
May 14 Market Rasen 1/7 by 14L (Double W's) 4/6
Feb 15 Newbury 3/11 btn 3.25L (Barters Hill) 13/8
Apr 15 Punchestown 6/13 btn 8L (Bellshill) 14/1
Oct 15 Chepstow 1/10 by 34L (Murray Mount) 5/6
Oct 15 Ascot 1/9 by 1.25L (Ch'tibello) 4/5
Nov 15 Cheltenham 1/5 by 0.5L (Maputo) 2/1
Dec 15 Kempton 1/10 by 13L (Open Eagle) 11/8
Mar 16 Cheltenham 1/14 by 7L (Min) 4/1
Nov 16 Kempton 1/2 by 63L (Black Corton) 2/13
Dec 16 Sandown 1/4 by 6L (Charbel) 2/7
Dec 16 Kempton 1/4 by 18L (Marracudja) 1/9
Feb 17 Newbury 1/4 by 13L (Fox Norton) 3/10
Mar 17 Cheltenham 1/9 by 6L (Cloudy Dream) 1/4
Apr 17 Sandown 1/4 by 8L (Special Tiara) 3/10
Feb 18 Newbury 1/3 by 4L (Politologue) 1/3
Mar 18 Cheltenham 1/9 by 7L (Min) EVS
Apr 18 Sandown 1/6 by 3.25L (San Benedeto) 2/11
Dec 18 Sandown 1/4 by 4L (Un De Sceaux) 8/13
Dec 18 Kempton 1/5 by 19L (Diego Du Charmil) 1/8
Jan 19 Ascot 1/3 by 7L (Fox Norton) 1/10
Mar 19 Cheltenham 1/9 by 1.75L (Politologue) 4/11
Apr 19 Sandown 1/5 by 2.5L (Sceau Royal) 1/6
Nov 19 Ascot 2/3 btn 2.25L (Cyrname) 1/3
Feb 20 Newbury 1/6 by 3.25L (Sceau Royal) 1/3
Dec 20 Kempton 2/6 btn 3L (Nube Negra) EVS

*Races marked in bold took place at the Cheltenham Festival.

Altior has been a fantastic champion and ambassador for the sport - he has attracted new fans to racing and neutrals will be hoping that he can get back to his best for a shot at the 2021 Champion Chase. 

How Much Is Altior Worth?

Altior was auctioned at the Goffs National Hunt sale in June 2013 and was bought for €60,000 by Highflyer Bloodstock.

He then entered the ownership of Patricia Pugh and was sent into training with Nicky Henderson.

Altior Prize Money:

As of January 2021, Altior has won an incredible £1,296,219 in prize money throughout his racing career. The vast majority (£1,149,906) has been won over fences, where Altior has earned a best overall rating of 175.

Where Is Altior Trained?

Altior is in training with Nicky Henderson at his Seven Barrows stable in Upper Lambourn, Berkshire.

Henderson is widely regarded as one of the top National Hunt horse racing trainers and Altior is the diamond of his illustrious stable yard.

Who Is Altior’s Jockey?

Four jockeys have been lucky enough to ride Altior during his career but Nico de Boinville is his regular jockey.

De Boinville has ridden Altior in each of his last 13 runs and Altior’s prize money and success have helped considerably boost his jockey salary.

Who Owns Altior?

Mrs Patricia Pugh. According to statistics relating to the 2019/20 National Hunt season, she owns just two horses in training – Pym and Altior. Both of Pugh’s horses are trained by Nicky Henderson.

When Is Altior Running Next?

Nicky Henderson has confirmed that Altior will be entered in the Queen Mother Champion Chase and the Ryanair Chase at the 2021 Cheltenham Festival.

Will Altior Run At Cheltenham?

All being well, Altior will line up in the 2021 Queen Mother Champion Chase. If successful, Altior will become the first 11-year-old to win the race since Moscow Flyer in 2005.

Altior will be very hot in Cheltenham Festival ante post picks and the Nicky Henderson horse could go off favourite at Prestbury Park in March.

Follow the latest Nicky Henderson stable tour news for updates regarding Altior’s health and big race plans.

Which Horse Beat Altior?

Cyrname. Altior had a perfect record over fences prior to his defeat to Cyrname at Ascot back in November 2019.

Stepping up in trip to 2m5f for the first time in his career, Altior gave an excellent account against the highest rated horse in training but ultimately fell short. Back at two miles, Altior can regain his crown as king of the chasing division.

How Many Races Has Altior Won?

Altior has won 21 of his 25 National Hunt races under rules. Here is the breakdown:

  • National Hunt Flat – 136
  • Hurdle – 11111
  • Chase – 11111111111111212

Is Altior The Best Horse Of All-Time?

The best racehorse ever debate rages on – it is almost impossible to compare jumps horses over different distances.

Historically, the likes of Red Rum and Arkle are in the conversation but you can make a viable argument for the likes of Sprinter Sacre, Kauto Star and Altior himself.

Altior has dominated the two-mile division since breaking onto the scene as a novice hurdler and that puts him a unique position.

If he can come back and win the Queen Mother Champion Chase aged 11, Altior will go down as one of the best horses ever to step onto a racecourse.

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Mark Humphrey / AP Photo*

 

January 9, 2021
Horse Racing

By Alex McMahon

Alex McMahon Sport
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Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.

He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.

As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible. 
 

Alex McMahon
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Premier League Stadium Capacity: Biggest Stadiums In UK

Premier League stadia come in all shapes and sizes. Some are laced with history, with decades of prestige. Others are modern efforts to enhance fan comfort, prioritising increased matchday revenue.

Each have their pros and cons, of course. The biggest Premier League stadiums are among the largest stadiums in the world, venues that double as concert arenas and are used for all manners of events.

Premier League Stadiums: Guide

As teams travel from stadium to stadium throughout the season, sports fans become increasingly aware of track records, of home advantage. That becomes a pivotal factor in Premier League Odds.

https://www.888sport.com/blog/football-prediction

We are taking a look at Premier League stadiums, their capacity, the oldest, the newest and which are considered the best venues for hosting top flight football.

Premier League Stadium Capacities

Premier League Stadiums: 2020/21
Club
Stadium
Capacity
Arsenal
Emirates
Stadium
60,704
Aston Villa
Villa
Park
42,785
Brighton
Falmer
Stadium
30,750
Burnley
Turf
Moor
21,944
Chelsea
Stamford
Bridge
40,834
Crystal Palace
Selhurst
Park
25,486
Everton
Goodison
Park
39,414
Fulham
Craven
Cottage
25,700*
Leeds Utd
Elland
Road
37,890
Leicester
King Power
Stadium
32,312
Liverpool
Anfield
53,394
Man City
Etihad
Stadium
55,097
Man Utd
Old
Trafford
74,879
Newcastle Utd
St James'
Park
52,388
Sheffield Utd
Bramall
Lane
32,125
Southampton
St Mary's
Stadium
32,505
Spurs
Tottenham
Hotspur
Stadium
62,303
WBA
The
Hawthorns
26,850
West Ham
London
Stadium
60,000
Wolves
Molineux
32,050

*These figures are accurate for the 2020/21 Premier League season with the exception of Fulham. The Cottagers will play with a reduced capacity of 19,000 fans at matches while undergoing expansion of the Riverside Stand.

Biggest Premier League Stadium

Manchester United’s Old Trafford is the largest Premier League stadium with a capacity just short of 76,000. It’s far clear of its nearest rivals, Tottenham’s swanky new home, which comes in at a little over 62,000.

Old Trafford has held this title for the majority of Premier League history, but it was briefly knocked off of top spot by Wembley.

Of course, no club actually claimed Wembley as their long-term home. Spurs used the national stadium for a short period while White Hart Lane was demolished and their new stadium was getting built.

Built in 1910, Old Trafford has changed drastically over the last few years, including several major expansions in the Premier League era.

The North, West and East Stands have had tiers added, taking the stadium close to the 80,000-capacity mark. The South Stand is next in line for a boost, which could take the stadium up near to Wembley’s 90,000.

Used for a Champions League Final, FA Cup semi-finals and matches at the 2012 Olympics, Old Trafford is arguably the most iconic club stadium in the country, and it’s the 11th-largest in Europe.

Smallest Premier League Stadium

Burnley’s Turf Moor is the smallest active Premier League stadium, taking the title from recently relegated Bournemouth.

The Cherries’ Dean Court is the smallest stadium in Premier League history at just 11,364, making it just over half the size of Burnley’s long-time home ground.

Turf Moor can hold 21,944 fans, almost 4,000 smaller than any other active Premier League arena.

It’s the second-longest continuously used home stadium in English football, having been host to Burnley since 1883. In fact, the area the stadium is on was first used half a century earlier when Burnley Cricket Club was set up.

45 years later, Burnley Rovers faced Bacup on the same field under rugby rules – it was the first match played under artificial light at Turf Moor.

Turf Moor can be an intimidating away day for Premier League players when packed with fans. The ground might be small, but it’s cosy with the touchline only a few feet from the front row.

The James Hargreaves Stand and Jimmy McIlroy Stand are both two-tiered, while the Bob Lord and Cricket Field stands are old-school single tiers.

Oldest Premier League Stadium

Bramall Lane gets the honour of oldest Premier League stadium. Sheffield United’s home was opened in 1855, making it 22 years younger than the second in this category: Stamford Bridge.

The four oldest stadiums in the history of the league are all currently being used by Premier League teams.

Bramall Lane and Stamford Bridge lead the way, followed by Newcastle United’s St James’ Park (opened in 1880) and the aforementioned home of Burnley, Turf Moor (opened in 1883).

Ipswich’s Portman Road is fifth on the list, having opened in the same year as Anfield.

Bramall Lane might have been first used in the 1850s, but it wasn’t home to Sheffield United until much later that century. The club was only founded in 1889.

It feels different to so many Premier League grounds, nestled in Sheffield, a concrete structure that has been renovated over the decades.

Newest Premier League Stadium

A stadium from the era of mobile bets, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a cutting edge sporting venue. It was opened in 2019, ending Tottenham’s brief, but peculiar, spell at Wembley.

Only Old Trafford and Wembley are bigger than Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – it, at least for now, has the proud title of biggest stadium in London, pipping West Ham’s London Stadium and Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

Spurs’ home has been designed with the NFL in mind. It’s the first stadium on the planet to have a dividing, retractable football pitch, which disappears to produce a synthetic surface for NFL London games and other events.

The not-so-catchy name is only a placeholder as Spurs prepare to sell the naming rights.

Tottenham fans and corners of sports media will refer to it as New White Hart Lane on occasion, but at the time of writing, its official name is Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Best Premier League Stadiums

Our list of football stadiums ranked gave an indication of the best Premier League stadiums. Choosing between one stadium or another is largely subjective, it’s a question of what you value as a fan, what makes a stadium great.

The history of Bramall Lane is a lure for many. The welcoming atmosphere of Craven Cottage will appeal to some. The prestige of Anfield or Old Trafford guarantees the two will rank highly for most supporters.

St James’ Park is a popular place, even if the long-running frustration from the fans has changed its perception. The hostility is not what it was, and other grounds like a sell-out crowd at Turf Moor or Selhurst Park can be just as intimidating.

Picking the best Premier League stadium is a matter of opinion. There are some great stadia to choose from – what’s your favourite?

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Jon Super / AP Photo*

November 3, 2020
Premier League
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Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

Sam Cox
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The Top 10 Best Rookie Seasons In NFL History

Looking back on the best NFL rookie seasons is a reminder of how many great players took the league by storm.

Whether under the microscope of being an early first round selection or a more surprising rookie season star, many of the game’s iconic names immediately had an impact in the NFL.

Best NFL Rookie Seasons:

The last three NFL first round picks – Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow – have all attracted plenty of headlines, quickly becoming sports betting stalwarts.

Mayfield and Murray are showing promise of contention in 2020, but none of the three make it onto our top 10 rookie seasons in NFL history. Some Hall of Famers, some legends from decade’s past. These are the best NFL rookie seasons ever…

Gale Sayers

This wasn’t just impressive for a rookie. It was, and perhaps still is, among the best individual seasons in league history.

Playing for the Chicago Bears in 1965, Gale Sayers recorded a then-record 22 touchdowns, 14 coming on the ground and six in the air. The other two were punt and kick returns.

A whopping 2272 all-purpose yards set a record at the time, too. An epic campaign included an extraordinary game against the Niners – Sayers scored six touchdowns on 335 total yards.

Despite the brilliance of Sayers, the Bears missed out on the playoffs in 1965. He had a short, but phenomenal, career.

Randy Moss

The Vikings were a score from a Super Bowl berth in Randy Moss’ rookie year.

The fact they got so close was largely down to Moss, who recorded 17 touchdowns and over 1300 yards, as he picked up an immediate chemistry with quarterback Randall Cunningham.

It was no beginner’s luck for Moss either. He built a Hall of Fame career with four All-Pro selections, and is recognised as one of the best wide receivers in the history of the game.

Night Train Lane

After striding into the Rams’ facility and asking for a try out as a wide receiver, Night Train Lane became an elite cornerback.

Los Angeles had a couple of Hall of Fame receivers at the time, blocking his path to the team.

The pace of a wide receiver who had shined in his junior year in college, and the anticipation to predict quarterbacks and pass-catchers, made him a defensive menace.

In just 12 games, Night Train Lane registered 14 interceptions, which he returned for just shy of 300 yards and a couple of touchdowns.

Lawrence Taylor

Has any linebacker arrived in the NFL with the same level of hype as Lawrence Taylor?

Selected second overall by the New York Giants, Taylor took no time living up to expectations – harassing quarterbacks all year long on his way to 9.5 sacks for the year.

He’s the first player to win Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same campaign, a season which finished with the Niners’ elite offensive linemen restricting Taylor in the playoffs.

Even then, he registered a sack and three tackles.

Ben Roethlisberger

The Pittsburgh Steelers, led by a rookie Ben Roethlisberger, became NFL betting candidates to win it all.

Only the New England Patriots could stop them in the AFC Championship game after Big Ben guided them to an incredible regular season.

Pittsburgh had gone just 6-10 the year before, earning the 11th pick. They used that selection on Roethlisberger, who won his first 13 NFL starts (which is, unsurprisingly, a record).

Awarded with NFL Rookie of the Year and AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Roethlisberger took no time to settle into the big time. It set the perfect foundation for what has been a Hall of Fame career.

Sammy Baugh

Sammy Baugh changed the sport. The 1930s quarterback position was incomparable to today’s game.

Baugh revolutionised quarterback play, leading the league in pretty much every passing category in his 1937 rookie year. And for good measure, he slotted in at defensive back and punted when required, too.

The Redskins were NFL champions on the back of Baugh’s play. He registered 335 passing yards to win the title, a long-time rookie postseason record.

Barry Sanders

One of the best ever running backs produced an historic rookie year.

Barry Sanders came into the league under pressure to succeed after winning the Heisman Trophy in 1988, and he did just that.

Sanders earned All-Pro honours in his rookie year, having registered just under 1,500 yards and 14 touchdowns. It was just the beginning of a Hall of Fame career.

Jim Brown

Rushing yards leader, rushing touchdown leader, MVP. That was Jim Brown’s rookie season in 1957, arguably the worst of his professional career.

Brown was an unstoppable force. The 942 rushing yards of 1957 soon were dwarfed by his achievements over the following years.

Two more MVPs followed, as Brown cemented himself as an all-time great. He was subsequently named to the NFL 50th, 75th, and 100th anniversary All-time teams.

Jevon Kearse

It’s fair to call Jevon Kearse a Tennessee legend. Kearse exploded onto the scene, posting the best rookie defensive end season ever.

The Titans made their first ever Super Bowl, in large part thanks to Kearse’s terrifying defensive play.

The 14.5 sacks is a gaudy enough number alone, but he also forced eight fumbles, one of which was returned for a touchdown. We can add another three sacks in the postseason for good measure.

Eric Dickerson

The first round of the 1983 draft was a belter.

Alongside John Elway, Dan Marino and others, Eric Dickerson was taken second overall by the Rams. The league had no answer for the rookie running back in his first year.

Dickerson led the NFL in yards, longest rush, carries and yards per game. He had his problems with fumbles, but they were more than outweighed by his ability as both as a rusher and a pass catcher.

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Steve Mitchell / AP Photo*

October 31, 2020
NFL
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Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

Sam Cox
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