NEWBURY 14:25

All 4 ran. Fences: 13. Race Distance Adjustment: +66 yds

Time: 4m 12.3s Closing Sectional: (3.05f): 49.10s (93.7%)

Overrounds: Industry SP 107%, Betfair SP 99.9%

Wide-margin wins in small-field races aren't the easiest to assess but at least 3 of these novices looked well treated beforehand and there's really no reason not to take a bullish view of the winner, who looked a tip-top prospect in demolishing his rivals from the front.

SAINT CALVADOS (FR) needs talking about in terms of the Arkle as he couldn't have been any more impressive in demolishing a trio of useful or better rivals, even a conservative view of the form he showed in defying a mark of 147 putting him in the top echelon of this season's novices, with the prospect of more still to come; won early battle for lead by third, made rest, jumped boldly and went with great enthusiasm, readily drew clear from 3 out, eased 3 lengths run-in, impressive; he'll reportedly head for the Kingmaker at Warwick, a track that promises to suit him very well, and a reproduction of this form should make him very hard to beat.

TREE OF LIBERTY (IRE) looks favourably handicapped up 8 lb for Warwick, that wide-margin win backed up by the time, and he probably ran about as well even though his jumping wasn't fault-free over these stiffer fences, just unlucky to bump into a potential top-notcher; chased leader from third, untidy there, mistake 4 out, effort next, left behind by winner quickly, kept on; he remains a handicap chaser of above-average interest.

WAR SOUND never looked like winning but fared better than previously in this sphere, making his handicap chase debut from a mark 5 lb lower than the one off which he won the 2015 Swinton; held up, outpaced briefly 5 out, plugged on straight, went third flat without ever getting the full Johnson treatment; he remains with a bit of potential as a chaser.

JAMESON was a bit below his best, tackling the minimum trip for the first time over fences; in touch, shaken up after 4 out, not quicken, weakened flat.