Whittington expects Saint Calvados to continue march towards Arkle

2.40 Warwick
Betway Kingmaker Novices Chase (Grade 2) | 2m54y | 5yo+ | ITV4

The job of saddling winners is made infinitely easier when a trainer can run the best horse in the race on official figures off the lowest weight. When the race in question happens to be a £40,000 Grade 2, all the better.

Harry Whittington's stable star Saint Calvados lines up in receipt of 7lb from his main market rival – and 2lb from the other two runners – meaning he is incredibly well treated for this attempt to book safe passage to the Racing Post Arkle, for which he is a best-priced 14-1.

He brings a BHA rating of 154 into the Kingmaker, which puts him 2lb clear of the next best North Hill Harvey. Due to the Dan Skelton-trained seven-year-old carrying a 5lb penalty for his Grade 2 Cheltenham win in November, and the five-year-old French import's 2lb weight-for-age allowance, Saint Calvados goes to post as a heavy odds-on shot against a horse trading just two points bigger at 16-1 in the Arkle ante-post market.

Whttington said: "This is the next step for him as he's won his two handicaps off top weight and done it nicely.

"He's a very exciting horse with a lot of talent and he's been training well since, he looks great and the main plan is the Arkle next but this will tell us more. I'm really looking forward to it."

He continued: "North Hill Harvey is a very good yardstick, so we'll learn where we are. As our wins were in handicaps we don't carry a penalty and, along with his weight-for-age, he gets in off a lovely racing weight.

"We're on the best terms we could possibly be on for such a clash, and given how good a horse North Hill Harvey is we'll obviously have to be very good to beat him."

North Hill Harvey: carries a penalty for his Grade 2 success at CheltenhamCredit: John Grossick (racingpostphotos.com)

North Hill Harvey is two from two over the Arkle's course and distance this season – with a victory over Sceau Royal among them – and consequently Skelton also has the Cheltenham Festival in mind.

"He's giving weight to Saint Calvados for his Grade 2 win, which doesn't make life easy, but he's ready to run and it will be a nice sharpener before Cheltenham," said the trainer.

"He's one-all with Sceau Royal, although he beat us further than we beat him and we were getting weight the day we won, but because he's so good there'll always be a player at a price on the day. He's got to get through this test first, though."

Diego Du Charmil and Drumcliff have more to find on official figures, being rated 143 and 141, but if anyone can make up that difference perhaps it is the unstoppable force that is Bryony Frost, who is put up here by Paul Nicholls despite not being able to claim her usual 3lb.

"I was tossing and turning as to whether to declare him," said Nicholls of Diego Du Charmil. "Ideally he'd want better ground, but looking at the programme book it's nearly impossible to find a two-mile novice chase on better ground right now and he's ready to run so we decided to take our chance.

"He struck into himself last time out but he's better now. He's got it all to do looking at the opposition but he does go well fresh, that's one positive."

Harry Fry, trainer of the JP McManus-owned Drumcliff, said: "It's a big step up from the amateur riders' handicap chase he won last time and he has a fair bit to find on ratings."

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