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Gold Cup: A Plus Tard has staying power
The Savills Chase was the race of Christmas week in Ireland. It was a race that had everything: quality in-depth, a thrilling finish, a worthy winner.
Just about every top-class staying chaser in Ireland - with one notable exception, more of whom anon - was in there among the entries, and you thought, if they all line up, it will be some race. They did and it was. There were 14 runners, it was the biggest field that had ever been assembled in the 28-year history of the race in its current guise, and 10 of the 14 went into the race with an official rating of 160 or higher.
The main unknown concerning A Plus Tard beforehand was whether or not he would have the stamina for three miles at the highest level. Henry de Bromhead’s horse had run over three miles once before, when he was well beaten by Delta Work in the Grade 1 staying novices’ chase at the 2019 Punchestown Festival, but he was only five then, and it was at the end of the season. It may have been that he just under-performed that day. Also, that was going right-handed, his form tells you that he is better going left than going right. It is not a coincidence that his trainer has not run him at a right-handed track since.
The Cheveley Park Stud’s horse stayed two and a half miles well when he won the Close Brothers Chase at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival, and he wasn’t stopping at the end of the Ryanair Chase last March, when he was beaten less than two lengths by Min. Also, two miles looked sharp enough for him when he finished second to Castlegrace Paddy in the Fortria Chase on his debut this season. So it was certainly worth trying him over three miles again.
He stayed all right. He stayed well. He had to stay. Under a confident and patient ride by Darragh O’Keeffe, who was riding his first Grade One winner, who was riding in his first Grade One race, he made up about four lengths on Kemboy between the landing side of the final fence and the winning line, and he hit the line strongly.
You have to think Cheltenham Gold Cup. He has a really good profile for the race now. Of course, the 66/1 that was available about him for the Blue Riband before the Savills Chase has long since gone, as has the 16/1 that was available directly afterwards, but the 10/1 and 12/1 that is available now still looks big.
He is a seven-year-old who has top class form over shorter distances. He has won a Close Brothers Chase, he has run really well in a Ryanair Chase and, remember, he beat Chacun Pour Soi in the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase over two miles and a furlong at last year’s Christmas Festival at Leopardstown.
As such, he has a similar profile to past Gold Cup winners Sizing John, Kicking King and War Of Attrition before they won their respective Gold Cups, and to multiple Best Mate and Kauto Star before their first. Kauto Star won the Tingle Creek Chase and was favourite for the Champion Chase the season before he won his first Gold Cup, while Best Mate would have been favourite for the Arkle the year before he won his first, had Foot and Mouth not intervened.
As well as that, A Plus Tard has top class Cheltenham Festival form, and he is trained by a top class trainer. He has lots in his favour.
You wouldn’t go giving up on A Plus Tard’s stable companion either, Minella Indo, as a Gold Cup contender. It was just one of those things at the fence past the stands. An uncharacteristic lapse. He had never fallen before. He is usually such a good jumper of his fences.
Barry Maloney’s horse will probably have another run now before Cheltenham. The Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown’s Dublin Racing Festival is the obvious race for him, but there are other options, like the Kinloch Brae Chase at Thurles later this month and the Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park next month. He remains an exciting talent and, only just beaten by Champ in the RSA Chase last March, he remains a live Gold Cup prospect.
The perennial who is Al Boum Photo did more or less all he needed to do in the (other) Savills Chase at Tramore on New Year’s Day. Willie Mullins’ horse is a metronome: shows up, wins his race, goes home. Now you see me.
His route to the Cheltenham Gold Cup first time around in 2019 via the Savills Chase on New Year’s Day at Tramore, and nothing else, may have been down to happenstance. He didn’t take up his intended engagement in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown that year because of the unseasonable weather and ground. But, having happened upon a successful Gold Cup formula after years of trying and six visits to the runner-up’s spot, it is not wholly surprising that Willie Mullins was not apt to change.
Last year, the Donnellys’ horse took the same stepping-stone, Savills Chase, Cheltenham Gold Cup, with the same result. This year, same again. If it ain’t broke. Al Boum Photo still sets the Gold standard.
