Both horses have bigger targets than the Ascot Chase in the coming months and the Paul Nicholls yard’s November strike-rate is slightly down
Thrilling as it is to have a clash like Altior versus Cyrname so early in the jumps season, the outcome should probably not be regarded as definitive. Both of these horses have bigger targets in the coming months and Saturday’s result will have a lot to do with which of them happens to be sharper for this reappearance.
It looks a negative for Cyrname that Paul Nicholls’s horses are generally needing their first run this season and the yard’s strike-rate this month is slightly below its usual November level. Nicky Henderson, meanwhile, is flying along and, although there is danger in such generalisations, it makes his Altior all the harder to oppose.