LONDON, United Kingdom |(AFP) - Nicky Henderson said he planned to run Altior over a longer distance next season after his star horse on Saturday extended his unbeaten run over fences with a record 19th successive win from as many starts.
Altior led all the way to win the one mile seven-and-a half furlongs Celebration Chase at Sandown near London for the third straight year.
Sceau Royal tried to challenge but fell by the wayside as Altior, a 6/1 on favourite, won by two-and-a-half lengths under jockey Nico de Boinville.
The nine-year-old Altior had joined staying hurdler Big Buck's on 18 wins when landing the Queen Mother Champion Chase for a second time at Cheltenham last month.
Henderson, long one of British horse racing's leading trainers over fences, said the lesson from the win was clear.
"He told us one thing today -- go further, so that is what we will do," Henderson said after the victory on the last day of the English jumps season.
"How we set it up, I'm not quite sure, but we've got a long summer to think about that. Nico said he had to keep the revs up the whole way there. He was firing along and going a good old rattle.
"His jumping keeps him going like that. He just keeps galloping.
"Nico said he is not quite as quick as he was, but I think that has been coming for the last year, so that's fine -- now is the time to do what you all have been telling me to do for two years."
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