Octagon boasts the stamina to set up Whittington’s week

Harry Whittington can kick off one of the most important weeks in his training career today by winning the Matchbook Imperial Cup at Sandown, with Octagon.

Whittington, whose Saint Calvados is expected to challenge Footpad and Petit Mouchoir in the Arkle at Cheltenham, has played a clever game with Octagon, dropping into selling company for his first two starts this season, at Southwell and Leicester.

This not only got the eight-yearold’s confidence up but, to the trainer’s surprise, saw him dropped 5lb by the handicapper. A comfortable victory over 2½ miles at Sedgefield on Boxing Day meant the handicapper rectified that error, but he gets in the Imperial Cup off 10st 3lb.

He can run a bit free so expect to see him held up by Harry Bannister in this big field. With no weight, and stamina proven, he should be doing all his best work up the hill.

The trainer should also not be far away with The Dubai Way, who looks tailor-made for the EBF Novices’ Handicap Hurdle. His four wins this season have all been by small margins and he might also be one step ahead of the handicapper.

When you have a team the quality of Nicky Henderson’s for the Festival, it is nice to know that the yard is, at least, in form going into the meeting. Yesterday, two of his three runners at Sandown won.

French import Soul Emotion won the handicap hurdle on his UK debut, while Baden, a 4-1 shot given a very competent ride by Lt Billy Aprahamian, gave Henderson his third Grand Military Gold Cup.

Ruth Jefferson has confirmed the exciting gelding Waiting Patiently would miss the Ryanair Chase and wait instead for Aintree.