‘DIG DEEP’ WITH CYRNAME
SinCE he burst on to the main stage, Cyrname has created a frisson of excitement among jump racing fans which will reach even higher levels if he can land this afternoon’s £250,000 Ladbrokes King george Vi Chase.
Victory at Kempton today would see Cyrname etched into the record books as the winner of one of the season’s signature races alongside the likes of arkle, Pendil, Wayward Lad, Best Mate and Silviniaco Conti. But victory would also mean that the 6-4 favourite, who will be ridden by 21-yearold Harry Cobden, will also have something in common with the two most legendary names associated with the King george — four-time winner Desert orchid and record five-time winner Kauto Star.
When they won the King george for the first time — Dessie in 1986 and Kauto Star in 2006 — it was their first run over three miles. no other winner since 1980 had won without running over the distance at least once. now Cyrname tries and trainer Paul nicholls, the man who has won the King george a record 10 times, says he has no reservations about the horse’s stamina.
nicholls (below), who also runs last year’s winner Clan Des obeaux, said: ‘it is his first time at three miles but he is by a sire, nickname, that stayed. He has won over 2m 4f at Kempton and 2m 5f at ascot and has never looked like a non-stayer.
‘He digs deep and keeps galloping. Until it is in the book you don’t know, but i’d be very surprised if he did not get three miles.
‘Harry knows what he is doing and it is a question of getting the fractions right. He doesn’t have to make the running. He is more relaxed now. if someone wanted to go quicker he would get a lead and follow them. He is switching off now. in his last run at ascot he was pretty much flat out. He wasn’t keen, he just went a nice gallop. He switched off to have a nice kick over the last two fences at ascot. i hope the same will happen at Kempton.’ With a high cruising speed and ability to jump his fences slickly without losing any momentum — something that really counted when Cyrname beat previously unbeaten chaser altior last month at ascot — his unproven stamina will be seen as his potential achilles heel among his rivals. The King george is littered with horses who looked world beaters at two miles and twoand-a-half, but who found a flat-out three miles at Kempton beyond them. nicky Henderson’s 1992 Queen Mother Champion Chase winner remittance Man, who was third to The Fellow when sent off 3-1 favourite in 1991, and Josh gifford’s Deep Sensation, the 1993 Champion Chase winner who was fifth to The Fellow in 1992, are among those who did not stay.
Both Deep Sensation and remittance Man were grade one winners at two-and-a-half miles, as was Willie Mullins-trained Vautour, who emptied in the painful final few strides when beaten by Cue Card in 2015.
Three of Cyrname’s five rivals today — stablemate and last year’s winner Clan Des obeaux, Lostintranslation and Thistlecrack — all have wins over three miles on their records. Their stamina has been proven.
yet nicholls is not the only man who thinks Cyrname will have reserves to last home. Joe Tizzard, assistant trainer to his father Colin, who runs Lostintranslation and Thistlecrack, also thinks he will stay.
Joe said: ‘The 2m 5f at ascot takes a good bit of getting, especially the speed Cyrname goes. it is the question that he has to answer but Paul is not concerned about his stamina and from what i have seen, i would not be concerned either.’
Both could be right. The challenge of Kempton’s flat right-handed track can really suit some horses, as seen by the number of multiple winners on the roll of honour. if they are, we could be looking at a special performer, just like Kauto Star and Desert orchid.