Matt Brocklebank is cautious over A Plus Tard's Gold Cup claims, with another crack at the Ryanair possibly more likely at this stage.
"It’s looking good for Willie Mullins as they run round the home turn,” said Leopardstown commentator Jerry Hannon.
He wasn’t wrong.
Former winner Kemboy and stablemate Melon had led the strongest Savills Chase field in recent memory a merry dance until that point and, with just one fence to jump in the straight, there was a gap back to the well strung-out pursuers, headed by stablemate Allaho in the second-choice silks of Cheveley Park Stud.
Yet another Mullins runner, Tornado Flyer, battled away back in fifth but in front of him A PLUS TARD – the Cheveley Park first-string – was starting to motor in the hands of Grade One newbie Darragh O’Keeffe.
The finish – not unknown for this midwinter spectacle – was a stirring one, Kemboy fiddling the last and being challenged again by Melon, who fought hard to his credit and only began to run on empty in the final dozen strides.
But A Plus Tard wasn’t running out of anything and, having been beaten over two miles on his comeback after signing off last year with a solid third to Min in the Ryanair Chase over the extended two and a half at Cheltenham, appeared to improve for the return to three.
He’d been well beaten by Delta Work in a Grade One novice on his only previous try at the distance, but was a five-year-old then and will turn seven at the end of this week.
Bigger, stronger and rarely meeting a fence on the wrong stride (he has never failed to complete in 15 starts over obstacles), this was a reasonably bold statement in terms of the Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup, without being wholly convincing.
With nine previous Grade One winners in a 14-strong field made up of horses all rated 152 and above, it was always going to have a significant impact on the antepost picture, and as the dust settled at the close on an eventful afternoon, the general consensus was that Monday's major winner was a 10/1 shot for the big one in March (having been 66/1 at the start of play).
Leopardstown and Cheltenham’s New Course are both left-handed, but the similarities don’t extend much beyond that with the Irish venue far better suited to speed-orientated jumpers. And here we have a horse who beat Chacun Pour Soi over two miles and a furlong at Leopardstown last Christmas.
Merely a course specialist he is not, though, and, on top of the Ryanair evidence, it’s worth recalling when he first graced Cheltenham in March 2019 he returned home having won by 16 lengths.
There’s no question he’s a player when it comes to the Gold Cup - should connections opt to target the race - and yet Minella Indo’s early fall and Delta Work unseating Sean Flanagan does take a small amount of the shine off the performance.
If Henry De Bromhead’s big white hope (Minella Indo was sent off 5/2 favourite here) is able to dust himself down and come back fighting in something like the Irish Gold Cup before March, then there must be a fair chance the ultra-patient trainer looks to keep them apart, with A Plus Tard geared for another crack at Min and co over the intermediate trip.
He’s still 16/1 in places for that race which is quite surprising given he’s just beaten Melon (12/1) and Allaho (14s) and the gruelling, extended three and a quarter miles of Prestbury Park very much remains an unknown.
As for reigning champ Al Boum Photo, Mullins - who finished with the second, third, fourth, fifth and seventh, can only have been buoyed by this result.
The stable star is heading for a Savills (New Year's) Chase too but Tramore's Grade Three version on Friday isn't going to be anything like as competitive.
Mullins won’t care, of course – the path of least resistance is shrewdly the way he's always liked it, and it’s clearly the way he likes it with this horse in particular.
Published at 1545 GMT on 28/12/20
