Ed Chamberlin reflects on three key Cheltenham pointers from weekend

ALTIOR (4/6 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase – Sky Bet)
Click here for full profile and to add to My Stable

It was fascinating in the build-up to the Betfair Exchange Chase to hear Sir Anthony McCoy talking about tactics and gamesmanship in a race of this nature. We all thought Altior might be a bit fresh, according to Nick Henderson he was vulnerable – although Mick Fitzgerald was having none of that.

It was intriguing to hear AP on what he’d be doing in the parade ring and on the way to the start if he was riding Politologue. Sam Twiston-Davies, who was in the saddle aboard Paul Nicholls’ charge, spoke to Luke Harvey after the race. It was revealing that he said Nico De Boinville had indicated he was going to make it on Altior – which he clearly didn’t want to – and Sam kicked on to make it a decent test.

It was one Altior passed with flying colours.

There can be a moment in a race with him, it happened in his Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and Racing Post Arkle, when he just hits a momentary flat spot. Then five or six strides later, whoosh, he’s gone. He finishes his races so strongly which is the sign of a class animal.

It’s good for ITV – and good for racing – that he won so well and set up the big clash with Min in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase. It’s a rematch from the 2016 Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle when Altior emerged on top.

Mick Fitzgerald said on Saturday Altior would win the Stan James Champion Hurdle if he ran in it but the one question mark I have is whether the Old Course really suits him. I agree with AP that if he is to be remembered as a great he has to go on and win a Champion Chase – but where I disagree with him is when he wavered after being asked if this was the best National Hunt horse in training.

I think he is.

NATIVE RIVER (11/2 Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup)
Click here for full profile and to add to My Stable

We dispatched Mick Fitzgerald on paddock duties at Newbury. He came back and said Altior looked like he’d come on for the run but Native River was really fit. And so he was.

Again it gave the Festival – and in his case the Timico Cheltenham Gold Cup – a real boost to see him run out such a decisive winner. The race needed it.

He was a top price 7/1 afterwards and I wasn’t surprised to see money come for him in a race that looks wide-open. He was third last season but has a killer stat to overcome this time around. Since the turn of the century 66 horses – that have been beaten in a previous Gold Cup – have run in it again. None have won.

That good run last season came at a time when the Colin Tizzard horses weren’t firing on all cylinders but my worry with him is something is always likely to have a bit more speed coming down the hill.

SAINT CALVADOS (6/1 Racing Post Arkle)
Click here for full profile and to add to My Stable

He produced a tremendous performance to win the Kingmaker at Warwick and had AP eulogising about it on ITV.

The former champion jockey thinks he can make Footpad go in the Racing Post Arkle – and the favourite now has a challenger for the early lead at Cheltenham. Tactics over the first three of four fences in that race will be fascinating.

I’m delighted owner Andrew Brooks has such an exciting prospect on his hands. He’s one of racing’s good guys and puts a lot into the sport.

In my heart of hearts I think Saint Calvados is going to need soft ground to really shake Footpad up at Cheltenham, I think that rival is a bit special, but there’s no denying the performance at Warwick underlined what an exciting prospect the Kingmaker winner is.

Related links

• All today's racecards
• Today's fast results
• Today's full results
• Non-runners
• Today's Goings
• Today's Naps Table
• ABC Guide
• Sky Bet's horse racing odds