Watch a full replay of Altior winning the Matchbook Clarence House Chase, Lydia Hislop's interview with Nicky Henderson and Andy Stephens' report.

The back catalogue of Prince includes an unheralded track called Joy In Repetition. It would have made an appropriate accompaniment to Altior going about his business in the Matchbook Clarence House Chase at Ascot this afternoon.

Barring mishap, or misfortune, there was never much doubt that the best steeplechaser in training would preserve his unbeaten record over jumps and in the process register his seventeenth successive victory.

True, it was not one of his flawless exhibitions. He jumped left to different degrees from early on, markedly so at the fifth and tenth fences, but never looked in danger of defeat or calamity.

All his usual verve was evident and regular partner Nico de Boinville, who effectively sealed the contest with an injection of pace six out, had the luxury of giving him a couple of triumphant slaps down the shoulder approaching the finishing line.

Fox Norton finished within seven lengths of the pair – a fine effort on his belated return - but he was never able to lay a glove on the relentless winner. Diego Du Charmil jogged around for third but still bagged his connections £16,000.

"It's the sort of thing you see horses do around here," said Henderson when questioned about why Altior did not keep straight. "He was lonely, feeling unloved out on his own. I think he was bored.”

He insisted he would not need an MOT at Seven Barrows this week and then, talking about the sequence of wins, added: “Someday, sooner or later, it will end. It’s great while it’s last and it’s our job to keep the ball rolling.”

Form figures of 11111111111111111 are a thing of rare beauty. National Hunt horses face banana skins and mischief at every turn but Altior seems gloriously immune.

This was one of the biggest two-mile chases of the winter but for the most part it felt more like an extended lap of honour for the bay winning machine.

They says that two’s company, three’s a crowd but it didn’t much feel like that in the immediate build-up as the trio of runners strolled around the expansive Ascot paddock. Matchbook, the sponsor, would have undoubtedly liked a more competitive affair but those suggesting the race would be better off reverting to a handicap, like it was for the first 30 years of its existence, are missing the point.

Had it been so, racing’s biggest star would have stayed at home munching carrots. Grade One horses require their own platform and those who would like to dilute their opportunities should be careful what they wish for.

Betting is an integral part of racing and with Altior being sent off at 1-10 this was something of a non-event on that front. But there were 40 other races in Britain and Ireland to have a wager on today.

What is not in doubt is that the sport is immeasurably richer for Altior’s presence, not least because he is one of those rare commodities who has the potential to take racing onto front pages and beyond.

Great British Racing did a great job promoting Mark Johnston’s record-breaking exploits during the summer and he even ended up getting a mention on the BBC’s main news channels. Altior gives them, and everyone who cherishes racing, another vehicle to spread good news.

The Invincible Horse. The Horse Who Always Wins. The Horse Who Stays A Jump Ahead Of His Rivals. It’s a marketing dream.

Altior’s next stop will be his defence of his Queen Mother Champion Chase crown at Cheltenham in March and De Boinville cannot wait. "Everyone has had a go at him but there's nothing we'd be afraid of at Cheltenham,” he said in the aftermath of win number 17. "He's such an intelligent animal, he can measure his fences up perfectly."

If Altior triumphs at the Festival, for a fourth time, he will equal the record win sequence of 18 that Big Buck’s achieved over jumps between January 2009 and January 2014.

That star of staying hurdles actually rattled up his wins in a three-year period before being undone by injury and a long absence.

Altior’s winning sequence began on October 10, 2015 and, barring a breathing issue that led to him missing the first half of last campaign, nothing has come close to halting him.

Still only nine, one wonders how many triumphs he can rack up. Stepping up in trip next season will ask a new question but, should he prove equal to it, then we will be in the realms of fantasy.

He has galloped in excess of 34 miles, negotiated 194 hurdles/fences and shown himself to be effective on all types of ground. His 17 wins have been gained by an aggregate of 214 lengths – an average of about a dozen per race.

It has been 1hr 8min of near perfection, during which he has shown himself to be head and shoulders above all his peers.

A familiar sight: Altior and De Boinville return in triumph (Focusonracing)

This is not be the strongest two-mile division – such as the era when Moscow Flyer, Azertyuiop and Well Chief were looking each other in the eye – but Altior can do no more than beat what he is up against it.

Do not forget, either, his commanding Supreme Novices’ Hurdle success of three years ago when he won at the main expense of Min and Buveur D’Air, the subsequent dual Champion Hurdle winner, with the also-rans including Supasundae, Petit Mouchoir and Charbel.

In the past 20 years we have been blessed with wonderful jump horses but generally they hit bumps in the road.

Douvan strung together 14 wins before the wheels came off in the Champion Chase two years ago, while Buveur D'Air had clocked up 11 before his unexpected reverse at Kempton over Christmas. He slides back to the start.

Annie Power, Faugheen, Istabraq and Sprinter Sacre all looked imperious but never managed more than ten wins in succession.

Istabraq’s run was ended by Pridwell and an inspired AP McCoy at Aintree. He lost by a head but the defeat did not leave him a mark and he responded by winning his next eight.

Annie Power’s only defeats in 19 starts were when beaten in a Stayers’ Hurdle, not quite getting home, and when suffering that infamous final-flight fall in the Mares’ Hurdle. Sprinter Sacre, of course, was betrayed by a heart condition.

Denman, Hurricane Fly, Quevega and Un De Sceaux managed nine wins in a row. The latter would surely have reached 16 but for a couple of late tumbles when in complete command. Moscow Flyer was another let down by the odd jumping lapse. He won seven on the spin in his pomp - but Kauto Star (six), Best Mate (four) and Cue Card (four) never really got on a roll.

A couple of stars from yesteryear. Arkle? His winning sequences of nine, eight and seven were interrupted by defeats in handicaps when he was trying to give lumps of weight away.

Sir Ken managed 16, Bula 13 after him, but Desert Orchid’s best run of ones was seven, his sequence ended by a fall at Aintree after his famous Cheltenham Gold Cup triumph.

Prince was right. There is joy in repetition. And Altior has not finished yet.