Britain's best chaser Cyrname is 'bang fresh' as Nicholls targets Ascot prize

Fresh from winning last week's biggest race, Paul Nicholls has his sights firmly fixed on Saturday's showpiece and on Monday reported Britain's best chaser to be back on song.

Owned by Johnny de la Hey, Cyrname is long odds-on to regain the winning thread in the Betfair Ascot Chase, a race he won last year.

Ascot Chase entries

However, Harry Cobden's mount failed to shine in the King George VI Chase over Christmas, finishing second to stablemate Clan Des Obeaux, although Nicholls feels the eight-year-old's impressive victory over Altior at Ascot in November could offer an alibi for that.

Successful with the same owner's Pic D'Orhy in the Betfair Hurdle at Newbury on Saturday, the 11-time champion trainer is gunning for another major weekend prize.

He said: "Cyrname takes a bit of time to come to himself between races, but he's bang where we want him now and Harry schooled him this morning. He jumped nicely and had a little away day last week. He worked very nicely on Saturday and is bang on schedule. All the rain we've had won't do him any harm.

Cyrname (blue) second behind stablemate Clan Des Obeaux (noseband) in the King GeorgeCredit: Edward Whitaker

"In hindsight Kempton came a bit quick from Ascot and if we were going to go for the King George again I probably wouldn't use that as a stepping stone. He's so good fresh we could go first time out and it obviously left a bit of a mark."

Nicholls, speaking at a media event at his Somerset yard on Monday, added: "He still ran well to finish second in the King George and Clan was obviously on fire that day and in good form.

"You could see both horses [Cyrname and Altior] had a hard race at Ascot, but then again good horses will run against each other and have a hard race.

"He's taken a while to come to himself, but he is bang fresh where he wants to be. He's not a big, heavy horse like Denman, but more fragile and lighter and you've just got to mind him."

Cyrname: was too good for Altior at AscotCredit: Edward Whitaker

Cyrname, who produced a sensational performance in the Ascot Chase 12 months ago, is in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase and Ryanair Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, but Nicholls does not anticipate an appearance there.

"I would say, if he runs at Ascot on Saturday, he's very unlikely to run at Cheltenham. It's too close and more than likely we'd think of another plan, Aintree, or something. He's a horse you need to take each race at a time and not make a forward plan, but if he runs Saturday I'd say there's virtually no chance of him running at Cheltenham."

Nicholls has also left Frodon in the £150,000 Grade 1, but he is purely a back-up for the French-bred star.

"I've left him in, but he won't run against Cyrname," Nicholls said. "If anything happened to Cyrname then I've got an able substitute. He's in as a precaution and if he doesn't go on Saturday he'll go straight to Cheltenham for the Ryanair or the Gold Cup, although it's almost certain it'll be the Ryanair."

The Ditcheat maestro is also looking forward to running Danny Whizzbang – a long-term hope for next season's Ladbrokes Trophy – in the Sodexo Reynoldstown Novices' Chase on the same card, while he has ground bases covered in Wincanton's Betway Elite Hurdle with Diego Du Charmil (good) and Quel Destin (bad).

Nicholls also has high hopes for Truckers Lodge in Haydock's Unibet Grand National Trial.

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