RACING: Harry Whittington is relishing the prospect of sending out Saint Calvados to take on Altior in the Betfair Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown on Saturday.

The five-year-old made a sparkling reappearance when landing the Grade 3 Poplar Square Chase at Naas last month.

Now Saint Calvados, from Whittington’s Sparsholt stables, near Wantage, faces the ultimate test when he tackles the Queen Mother Champion Chase hero, Altior, in the Grade 1 contest at the Esher track.

Whittington said: “He’s in great condition and all being well we’ll be at Sandown.

“He came back from Ireland in good order and we’re really looking forward to it.”

“In terms of preparation, it’s always easier when you’ve not got to be too hard as they’ve already had a run, whereas Altior will be fresh.”

Meanwhile, Anemoi made it two wins from as many starts over hurdles for Whittington with an impressive victory at Doncaster.

Sent off the 2-5 favourite for an extended two-mile novices’ contest, the four-year-old coasted home by eight lengths from Red Royalist under Gavin Sheehan.

TABLE TENNIS: RAL Atomics continued their climb up the Division 1 table with a comprehensive 8-2 win against Upton in the Didcot & District League.

Pierre-Oliver Colard recorded a maximum in the victory.

RESULTS

Div 1: Drayton Devils 0, Marlborough Eagles 10 (N Taylor 3, G Donovan 3, D Jones 3); Drayton Dragons 2, Letcombe Legends 8 (R Taylor 3, I Mead 3); RAL Atomics 8 (P Colard 3), Upton Ultraviolets 2; Moreton A 10 (C Lane 3, T Raby 3, T Stanmore 3), Marlborough Robins 0.

Div 2: Abingdon A 5, Abingdon B 5 (D Sharma 3); Moreton Mavericks 7 (Y Salehi 3), Marlborough Falcons 3; Sutton Lynxes 6 (L Danaila 3), RAL Crusaders 4; Sandford Improbaballs 3, Wallingford A 7 (J Turner 3, A Chilvers 3); Drayton Dazzlers 9 (D Hudson 3, P Wiblin 3), Grove United 1.

Div 3: Abingdon Racketlon 2, Marlborough Kestrels 8 (B Humphreys 3); RAL Dragons 3, Letcombe B 7 (S Haddrell 3); Grove City 2, Moreton Mercurial 8 (D White 3); Sutton All Saints 7 (T Elford 3, G Bosse 3), Drayton Dingos 3.

Div 4: Drayton Dynamos 1, Sandford Missfits 9 (L Harkin 3, J Dennis 3); Moreton E 6, SOFEA 4 (B Hanks 3); Marlborough Merlins 5, Drayton Dashers 5 (W Stephenson 3); Letcombe C 2, Moreton D 8 (R Templeman 3, R Gopal 3); Sandford Bees 6 (M Dyer 3), Abingdon C 4.

MOTORSPORT: Grove-based Williams F1 have named Nicholas Latifi as their reserve driver for the 2019 season.