Nicholls to pitch duo into Ascot Chase

Nicholls ponders Ascot run for Black Corton

Cyrname and Politologue are both set to be pitched into the Betfair Ascot Chase on February 16, trainer Paul Nicholls has confirmed.

Nicholls revealed that seven-year-old Cyrname has to go right-handed, but his impressive handicap win by 21 lengths from a mark of 150 at Ascot on January 19 has persuaded him to give him an opportunity to feature in the Ascot Chase. ‘Cyrname came out of his win at Ascot in good form,’ said Nicholls. ‘He is a lovely horse who has improved enormously this season. He wasn’t quite right in the autumn and has always been quite tricky to train. ‘He can be very free but for whatever reason, he has started to settle and we were able to take the hood off him at Ascot, and train him completely differently with a normal routine. ‘That has made a big difference to him and he is a big, progressive horse who has been improving mentally all the time. I was very impressed with that Ascot win. ‘We have to go right-handed with Cyrname and he will now go for the Betfair Ascot Chase.’ Meanwhile, Politologue was a certainty to race after winning over the same distance as the Ascot Chase when triumphing in the 1965 Chase earlier in the season. However, some doubts crept in when he had to settle for a fourth-placed finish in the King George, but Nicholls insisted that he has not been put off his plans. He added: ‘Politologue was always going to go for the Ascot Chase and that remains the plan. He likes Ascot and is also a horse who does appreciate going right-handed. It will be very interesting to see how both of them get on and we are looking forward to it.’

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Cyrname Politologue Paul Nicholls

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