The best I've had since Kauto - Paul Nicholls hails King George hope Cyrname

Paul Nicholls believes leading Ladbrokes King George hope Cyrname is the best horse he has trained since the great Kauto Star – and has described the gallop that made him realise it.

In an interview with Sunday's Racing Post, Nicholls said: "I saw Cyrname work round Wincanton a month ago and I'd never seen anything like it – he was awesome. I thought, 'My God, he's the best I've had since Kauto'."

Nicholls also compared Cyrname to Kauto Star in terms of the versatility that he believes could see him win big races over all manner of distances over the next few seasons.

The champion trainer added: "He'd probably win a Clarence House or a Tingle Creek if the ground was very, very testing. He's got the speed to win over two miles on a stiff track or soft ground, but then Kauto won over two and still won two Gold Cups.

Kauto Star: stable star at Ditcheat for many yearsCredit: Edward Whitaker

"I think as he becomes more relaxed he'll stay further and get three miles really well, but we're not in a hurry to go to the Gold Cup and run him into the ground. He could go there at nine or ten, but at the moment I see Lostintranslation as a Gold Cup winner waiting to happen – and don't forget, it's not all about the Gold Cup.

"There are some amazing races to be won with him, and if we mind him he could end up like Kauto, as good at 11 and 12 as he was at seven and eight."

Nicholls also has last year's King George winner Clan Des Obeaux for the Boxing Day spectacular, but the Ditcheat master knows which one he'd be riding.

"Harry [Cobden]'s got to make a big decision," he said. "He wants to think about it and I don't need him to decide now. I won't push Harry one way or another, but if I could lose a few pounds and ride one of them myself I'd just prefer Cyrname. I'd say we know Clan's level, which is pretty high, but Cyrname may still have more to come and he could be special."

Read more from a compelling interview with Paul Nicholls in The Big Read, available to Ultimate members from 6pm on Saturday. Not a member? Click here to sign up