CYRNAME BACK IN THE FRAME
Nicholls happy his star can shine at Ascot
CHAMPION trainer Paul Nicholls says Cyrname is back in bouncing form ahead of Saturday’s Betfair Ascot Chase — but may not run him at next month’s Cheltenham Festival.
Cyrname is entered for the Queen Mother Champion and Ryanair Chases but Nicholls says his preference would be the Melling Chase at Aintree’s Grand National meeting in April.
He said: ‘If Cyrname runs on Saturday, he is more likely to go to Aintree. He is a relentless galloper over two mile five or six furlongs. Two miles is too quick for him so he does not want to run in the Champion Chase. The Ryanair is possible but if he runs at Ascot we might keep him fresh for Aintree, which would be the perfect race for him. That’s what is in my mind.’
French-bred Cyrname beat Altior in a bruising comeback run in the Christy 1965 Chase at Ascot in November. It was a much-anticipated clash which left its mark on both horses.
Altior ran for the first time since then when landing Saturday’s Game Spirit Chase at Newbury to reboot his season and Nicholls concedes the Ascot dustup was a likely contributor to Cyrname being brushed aside by stablemate Clan Des Obeaux in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.
Nicholls said: ‘Cyrname has come back and has bloomed in the last fortnight. I was thrilled with him on Saturday morning. He looks fantastic.
‘On reflection, the Ascot race was not an ideal prep for the King George. If we were to do it again, we would do something different. He ran OK at Kempton but the first and second fences come quite quickly and he takes time to get rolling into his stride. He never got into a rhythm and Ascot suits him better.’
Nicholls also has Ryanair Chase winner Frodon in Saturday’s race but says he will only run if Cyrname, who has won on all three runs over Ascot’s two mile, five furlong trip, is absent.
‘In an ideal world Frodon will go straight to the Ryanair Chase,’ he said.
Victory with Pic D’Orhy in Saturday’s Betfair Hurdle gave in-form Nicholls a 17th win in the last fortnight from 58 runners. Pic D’Orhy, whose debut for Nicholls came when unplaced in last year’s Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, was winning for the first time in Britain.
Nicholls will discuss with owner Johnny De La Hey, who also owns Cyrname, whether it is worth make a supplementary entry for an open-looking Champion Hurdle. Nicholls said: It’s a lot of money to supplement him but he has won a few quid. I will see what Johnny says. He travelled well and stayed on strongly. He had a big weight and it was a good performance.’
• PADDY BRODERICK, who rode the great Night Nurse to win the Champion Hurdle in 1976 and 1977, has died at the age of 80.
• STORM CIARA forced the abandonment of Exeter and Southwell yesterday, and today’s meeting at Catterick was lost when the River Swale burst its banks and flooded the track’s stables. Tomorrow’s meeting at Lingfield has also been abandoned.