The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Beast plays right into Whittington’s hands
As Cheltenham embarked on the task of clearing 200 tons of snow from the track, one man not complaining was Harry Whittington, trainer of Arkle Challenge Trophy candidate Saint Calvados.
The five-year-old has stamped himself one of the most exciting novices in Britain with his three-race unbeaten sequence over fences, but Whittington had made it crystal clear at last week’s festival weights lunch he would not be risked on any going description from good upwards.
He need not have worried. In came the beast from the east to ensure soft ground horses will enjoy a first-day edge when the Festival kicks off on Tuesday.
Saint Calvados has had favourably easy conditions in his visits to Newbury and latterly for Kingmaker Novices’ Chase at Warwick, on each occasion jumping with alacrity and making full use of his exaggerated knee action. Those triumphs have been attained by an aggregate of 41 lengths.
The trainer explained: “I’ve watched the Kingmaker a hundred times and it looks like he’s hacking.
“He has the ability to put horses under pressure with his extraordinary cruising speed. When he’s still on the bridle, they seem to be flat out.”
Saint Calvados established himself as a jumper of immense promise with his three successes from four outings in France, where he had been picked out by his owner as a raw two-year-old.