Paul Nicholls admits Clan Des Obeaux’s war of attrition at Haydock could hand an advantage to Cyrname in King George VI Chase at Kempton
- Clan Des Obeaux won the feature for a second time from Cyrname last year
- Eight-year-old had draining battle when beaten by Bristol De Mai on Saturday
- Stablemate Cyrname has had time to recover from win at Wetherby last month
Paul Nicholls has conceded the tough race Clan Des Obeaux had in Saturday’s Betfair Chase could work in favour of stablemate Cyrname in the King George VI Chase at Kempton.
Last year it was Clan Des Obeaux who won the St Stephen’s Day feature for a second time from Cyrname, who had endured a bruising battle with Altior at Ascot the month before.
This year Cyrname will be fresher having had time to recover from his win at Wetherby last month, while Clan Des Obeaux had a draining battle when beaten by Bristol De Mai at Haydock.
Paul Nicholls has concerns after Clan Des Obeaux’s tough race at Haydock on Saturday
Nicholls said: ‘Clan has probably run one of his best races, but there is no getting away from it that he had a hard race. If we’d known a month ago it was going to be that sort of heavy ground, we might have done something different.
‘We would have preferred it not to be such of a war of attrition against a horse who is brilliant in those conditions. Clan is tough, so he should be OK, but it’s roles reversed. Cyrname will be the one going into the King George a bit fresher.’
Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner Shishkin makes his chasing debut at Kempton on Monday.
