Charlie Hall test will be telling for Cyrname

Graham Clark
October 24, 2020 4:30 pm

Nicholls on learning curve as top chaser heads to Wetherby.

Paul Nicholls expects plenty of questions to be answered by Cyrname in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby.

The Ditcheat trainer has decided to switch the eight-year-old to Saturday’s Grade Two prize in West Yorkshire.

The initial plan was to head to Down Royal for the Grade One JNwine.com Champion Chase, but travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic have put paid to that.

Cyrname became the first horse to defeat Altior over jumps on his return in a Grade Two at Ascot last November. He then faded into a well-beaten second in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, before falling in the Ascot Chase on his final start of the season.

Speaking from Cheltenham, Nicholls said: “The horse could go to Northern Ireland, but we couldn’t send any staff over there – (so) we decided to reroute to Wetherby.

“It’s three miles on a flat track, and we have got to see if he gets three miles.

“He is in good shape and worked well this morning, according to Clifford (Baker, head lad).

“Unlike on his debut last season, we’ve not been able to give him a racecourse gallop – because everywhere we were going to go, the ground was too quick.”

Cyrname will be trying three miles again, and also racing left-handed for the first time since his novice days in April 2018.

Nicholls added: “We are going there short of having an away day.

“He has a 6lb penalty there, but we can live with that.

“We’ve got to go somewhere with him, and it will answer a lot of questions – in the trip and going left-handed.

“(But) I don’t think going left-handed will be an issue any more, because he is a different animal nowadays.”