Saint Calvados team need soft ground for Racing Post Arkle
Harry Whittington believes the prospect of quicker ground could jeopardise the chances of leading Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy contender Saint Calvados.
The five year old, who is 5/1 (non-runner/no bet) with Sky Bet for the Grade One contest at the Cheltenham Festival on March 13, has yet to tackle ground quicker than soft in seven career starts.
After winning two Newbury handicaps on his first two outings for the Sparsholt handler, the Andrew Brooks-owned gelding outlined his Festival credentials earlier this month with a decisive success in a Grade Two contest at Warwick.
But Whittington said: "He would not run on good ground. As long as there is cut in it he will be fine.
"I've more reservations better ground than what he has been running on as he is by Saint Des Saints and he has got that knee action and he seems to have handled that soft ground very well.
"Aidan (Coleman) felt it wasn't that soft at Warwick and he feels that he will be fine. The lad that rides him every day feels that he will be better on better ground as he will be able to lengthen and just go quicker.
"I would have more reservations about the ground than the track. I'd be more hopeful of a bigger performance on soft ground than better ground, that's for sure."
Looking beyond the Festival, Whittington does not anticipate stepping Saint Calvados up in trip any time soon.
He added: "I wouldn't be surprised if he was kept at two miles next season and we aim him at something like the Tingle Creek. He looks like he is getting quicker all the time. He has got so much natural speed it looks like he is going a million miles an hour but he is just hacking."
