A Plus Tard will try to cement his place at the top of the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting in Leopardstown’s day three Christmas festival feature.
The horse who finished runner-up to his stable companion Minella Indo in last March’s ‘Blue Riband’ is a general 5-2 favourite to go one better later this season.
That status was underlined even further when Minella Indo flopped in Sunday’s King George at Kempton, leaving a Gold Cup market heavily lopsided towards A Plus Tard.
An authoritative display in the €175,000 Savills Chase will convince many that bookmakers have it summed up correctly.
This was the race that last year put A Plus Tard firmly into the Gold Cup mix as he sprouted wings from the last to overhaul Kemboy and Melon in the dying strides.
That was enough for Rachael Blackmore to opt for him over 'Indo' at Cheltenham and endure the one major reverse in the jockey's otherwise stellar 2021.
If the 2020 Savills was a surprise, with the post-race focus as much on Minella Indo’s early exit as the winner, then there is widespread expectation around ‘APT’ this time.
Last month’s spectacular seasonal debut at Haydock suggested once again that going left-handed around three miles are pretty much the perfect circumstances for this horse.
Even if A Plus Tard’s Haydock opposition folded tamely in the straight there was still every indication of a winner that’s still progressing. That’s no surprise considering he’s only about to turn eight and theoretically at least approaching his career peak.
Both the 2019 and 2018 winners, Delta Work and Kemboy, have more miles on the clock and with watering still taking place on the chaser course on Monday both Galvin and Janidil could emerge as bigger threats.
That almost two inches of rain could fall on Leopardstown over Christmas Day and watering is still necessary highlights the issues around the steeplechase course.
A Plus Tard was taken out of a race here at the 2020 Dublin Racing Festival when conditions were yielding so the Henry de Bromhead team are likely to be watching the skies for showers more than most.
However, the odds still look to hugely favour him becoming the first since Beef Or Salmon in 2005 to win the Savills back to back.
Conditions are easier on the hurdles circuit and that will be good news for the Klassical Dream team.
The fragile but hugely talented horse is one of four Willie Mullins runners in the Dornan Engineering Christmas Hurdle.
Lengthy absence
Last year's winner, and the reigning Stayers champion, Flooring Porter, also lines up while Gordon Elliott gives his high-class operator Abacadabras a first try at three miles. He is one of Elliott's own quartet of runners.
Most focus, however, will be on Klassical Dream who returned from a lengthy absence to win the stayers’ crown at Punchestown last Spring in spectacular style. He currently tops the Cheltenham Stayers betting along with Champ and unsurprisingly is the Mullins team’s No 1 pick.
The Adjudicator, a former Grade One winner here, is the Mullins horse returning from a long absence this time, although there may be some betting value in taking a chance with another proven top-flight operator.
Saldier’s winning Galway Hurdle display under topweight was one of the performances of the summer and hardly shouted potential Stayers’ Hurdle candidate. He also failed to fire behind Honeysuckle in the Hatton’s Grace last time.
However, that could be worth forgiving since Saldier banged his hip off a rail before the race. It’s also worth recalling how Mullins tried him at three miles in the race Klassical Dream won at Punchestown. His readiness to try again could prove significant.
Keeping Mullins onside throughout day three of Leopardstown is a policy many will follow.
His Grade One Punchestown winner, and Cheltenham festival scorer, Galopin Des Champs, makes his debut over fences in a hot-looking Beginners’ Chase but still looks the one to beat. The French bumper winner Horantzau d’Iry will be of interest too in the opening maiden hurdle.
Dark Voyager could go well in the Pertemps Qualifier with Jack Foley’s 5lb claim on his side although Ardhill looks like being even more of a threat if graduating from first-reserve.
