Nicholls pondering next steps for Kalif Du Berlais

Paul Nicholls’ wealth of experience sees him inclined to exercise patience with Kalif Du Berlais this season, as he remains confident the five-year-old has a bright future.

After a promising novice chasing campaign that saw the French import win three times and scoop Grade One honours at Aintree in the spring, hopes were high he could develop into a Champion Chase contender this term.

However, he underwhelmed on his return at Exeter, which although a performance Nicholls believes was not a true running, has the 14-time champion trainer reaching for the pause button.

“The more and more I think about it, the more I think he just wasn’t right the other day,” said Nicholls.

“I haven’t really got a plan for him and there are some races over Christmas, but I’m not sure I want to run him in the December Gold Cup with 11st 12lb.

“I did that with Clan Des Obeaux and he got beat and it’s a hard year for those horses as we don’t have intermediate chases in this country. You either have to go in a handicap and carry a lot of weight or run in graded company.

“Clan Des Obeaux and Frodon were both the same and had that year where you’d never imagine they would be winning King Georges and all the other stuff they did and I think he could be the same.

“So we’re in no rush with him this year, I could see him coming good in the spring, but what I do in the meantime, I’m not sure.”

Nicholls had suggested Kalif Du Berlais would head up in trip after his Haldon Gold Cup reversal, but has since given that plan second thoughts, with key two-mile events still on the radar.

And keen to stick to the motto of always forgiving a horse one poor performance while also delving into his previous experiences of training French-bred recruits – including the incomparable Ditcheat great Kauto Star – Nicholls is confident Kalif Du Berlais will thrive at some stage.

“It’s not definite we go up in trip, but I wouldn’t want to run him over two miles on a fast track and fast ground again,” explained Nicholls.

“The Desert Orchid (at Kempton, December 27) is a possibility and I always wanted to go for the Clarence House (Ascot, January 17) with him, but let’s just see. You’ll get plenty of good horses in those and wherever we go isn’t going to be easy, but I’ve just got a feeling in the spring he will come to himself a bit more.

“Some of those French horses are funny, at three and four they are like big school kids and are quite forward, but then they fall apart a bit and he’s massive and he just hasn’t really matured into his frame yet.

“I don’t know why he didn’t turn up the other day, but you can always forgive a horse one bad run and that is why I’m not in a rush to run him somewhere.

“He’s had an easy month after Exeter and we’ll just tune him up, they don’t become bad horses over night and I think having dealt with quite a few of these French horses, the key is to give them time – Kauto Star was still improving when he was 11.”