Connections feel Saphir Du Rheu will benefit from a return to hurdles this season with Cheltenham in mind.
The six-year-old was favourite for Saturday’s Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury but finished a disappointing fifth as Smad Place took the honours.
It was a poor showing and one that has led trainer Paul Nicholls to suggest that hurdling might be the correct route to go down at present.
“I’ve been considering this since his defeat In Saturday’s Hennessy Gold Cup and have now had a chat about it with his owner Andy Stewart,” he told his exclusive Betfair blog.
“At the core of my thinking is the fact that Saphir Du Rheu is only six, so I’ve always been concerned that the 2016 Cheltenham Gold Cup would come a year too soon for him.”
But the Somerset handler has no doubt that the son of Al Namix will one day shine over fences.
“It is important to say I still think Saphir Du Rheu will be a serious chaser in time,” he added. “And I am not ruling out a return to fences for him at Aintree in April and when he comes back into training next autumn he will be aimed once more at the Hennessy Gold Cup before heading for the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2017.”
