Cheltenham Gold Cup is priority for Paul Nicholls’s Cyrname

Exhilarating when winning Wetherby’s feature race under Harry Cobden, Cyrname then produced a lacklustre run in Kempton’s King George VI Chase on Boxing Day before being pulled by the jockey.

Both Nicholls and Cobden have struggled to account for the disappointing performance; their one theory is that the horse did not like being ridden with restraint in a race that saw stablemate Frodon lead from start to finish.

And while Cyrname has been handed an entry in next month’s Betfair Ascot Chase, Nicholls has said the priority is stll the Gold Cup in mid-March.

The Ascot Chase, a Grade One race over two and a half miles, was won imperiously by Cyrname in 2019 before he suffererd a heavy fall in last year’s renewal.

Cyrname is one of four entries for Nicholls, the 11-times champion trainer, who clearly rates the credentials of the progressive Master Tommytucker following an eyecatching success at Kempton earlier this month.

“Of our four, Master Tommytucker definitely goes for the Betfair Ascot Chase,” he said last night.

“It just looks the obvious race for him given the trip and everything, and I don’t see the track posing any problems at all. He is improving rapidly and deserves his place in a race like this.

“Cyrname’s main target could be the Gold Cup, although we have not made a final decision on that.

“The Betfair Ascot Chase is another option we wanted to have, but if we decide to go for the Gold Cup, then he won’t be able to run in both races. We will have to make our minds up over the next fortnight about what we want to do.

“After how impressive he was in the Charlie Hall, I was keen to aim him towards the Gold Cup. Then obviously what happened at Kempton didn’t help, but I have put a line through that.”

He added: “Clan Des Obeaux will run in the Denman Chase at Newbury, though with the way the weather is at the moment, we felt it was worth making an entry for Ascot just in case.

“Real Steel is a possible for Ascot, but he would not want to run if the ground is too soft. We may keep him fresh for the Ryanair at Cheltenham.”

Other entries include Midnight Shadow for Bingley trainer Sue Smith. Second in a handicap chase at Cheltenham last month under Ryan Mania, he’s due to reappear at the Cotswolds track this weekend if the ground is not too demanding.

Entries for this weekend’s Cheltenham trials close today with last season’s Gold Cup runner-up Santini only “50-50” to run in the Paddy Power-sponsored Cotswold Chase.

Nicky Henderson is not keen to run the nine-year-old, who was second to dual winner Al Boum Photo in March, on very testing ground so close to his main assignment.

He was holding discussions with owner Richard Kelvin-Hughes last night. “I need to talk to Richard Kelvin-Hughes to be fair,” said Henderson.
“I would be nervous about him in heavy ground because he doesn’t like it. If he’s going to hate it it will do more harm than good. We’re just juggling balls and I’ve got to say it’s 50-50.”

Henderson could have waited for Newbury’s Denman Chase, but that’s the intended target for last season’s RSA Chase winner Champ ahead of his Gold Cup tilt.

“Champ is definitely going for the Denman at Newbury, that is a definite plan,” said Henderson.

Nick Scholfield is on target to return to action this weekend following a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a broken leg.

The multiple Grade One-winning jockey suffered the injury when he was cannoned into by a loose horse as he crossed the finishing line in fourth on Shintori in a handicap chase at Fontwell in November.

After nearly three months out, he is itching to get back in the saddle – particularly given the way Sky Pirate has progressed in his absence for his retained owner Martin Tedham.

“It’s been tough – if you ask my girlfriend I’ve probably been a nightmare – but I’ve had a lot of support and a solid week of riding out at different places,” said the popular jockey.

Today’s meeting at Wetherby must pass an early-morning inspection while the BHA have granted permission for an additional fixture to be staged at Catterick on Sunday.

The track hopes to be raceable after yesterday’s meeting was abandoned due to frost. Its North Yorkshire Grand National meeting earlier this month was also a weather casualty.

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