Alan King is skilled and articulate, organised and approachable. He also has the short fuse of a fiery Scot. It was this characteristic, on rare public show at Newbury ten days ago, that exposed the relentlessly ambitious nature which, one day, will make him champion trainer.

Having seen his stellar two-mile chaser, Voy Por Ustedes, beaten by Master Minded, King prowled the runner-up berth with a thunderous expression that defied the usual post-race banalities. When one journalist ignored the warning signs, King muttered “I've had enough of this”, spun away and marched unseeing past a winning trainer anticipating the customary handshake.

As that man was his good friend Paul Nicholls, forgiveness was not long in coming. “Paul said I should have counted to three,” King related yesterday. “I told him I counted to 33 and my head still came off. Naturally, I was upset - I wouldn't be human if I hadn't been. But it probably wasn't my finest hour.”

He chuckled ruefully at the memory but he would never discount it happening again. Such shows of honest passion are a part of his make-up, just as they were of his mentor, David Nicholson.

“The Duke”, as Nicholson was known to all, would be mighty proud now if he saw the advances of his star pupil.

His string of 158 is the biggest in jump racing. As the vast majority are novices, progress should continue, especially as another of the trainer's hallmarks is hard-nosed lack of sentiment. “I don't tolerate bad horses very long,” he explained. “They are soon moved on.”

The 18 he paraded on a crisp, clear morning at Barbury Castle are immune from such threats. This was his A-team for the Cheltenham Festival he sailed through with an immovable grin last year as My Way De Solzen, Voy Por Ustedes and Katchit secured a treble of grade one prizes for the stable.

His three champions are back again, though with varying degrees of confidence. My Way De Solzen, for instance, is being sent back over hurdles at Fontwell Park on Sunday after doing himself no justice in the big league of staying chases. It is akin to being sent down a class in disgrace, though it would be foolish to write off a horse that has won at the past two Festivals.

“I was mortified at Kempton on Boxing Day because he didn't travel at all - and he's never done that in his life. We couldn't find any reason for it and his homework is as good as ever. Until we get Sunday out of the way, there'll be no decisions but it comes down to the Ryanair Chase or the World Hurdle.”

Voy Por Ustedes bucked and kicked his way around the paddock yesterday and, despite three defeats this season, King takes him back to the Champion Chase with optimism. “He loves Cheltenham and he's a spring horse - he is much better bouncing off top of the ground. Master Minded was very good at Newbury but I'd like to hope we'll get closer this time.”

King gave warning, though, that this may be the champion's last race over the minimum distance. “I think he's crying out for a step-up in trip. After Cheltenham, we might run him over two-and-a-half miles at Aintree.”

Katchit, too, has suffered reversals in his first season outside juvenile company but faith was restored by a typically game win at Wincanton last Saturday. “He was a pleasure to watch and I think that puts him right in the mix for the Champion Hurdle,” King said.

Having won the Triumph Hurdle twice in three years, the stable contender this time is Franchoek, a solid ante-post favourite after four progressive wins. Halcon Genelardais will have a second attempt at the Gold Cup, in which he was pulled up last year, and Blazing Bailey will take on Inglis Drever in the World Hurdle.

Come the meeting, King expects to saddle around 15 runners and insists he would be happy if just one of them won. “We get excited by it every year and it means everything. But none of us could have dreamed it would go as well as it did last year. It frightens the life out of me to think anyone is expecting the same.”