A Plus Tard

A Plus Tard put up a nice performance to win the 2m 3f beginners’ chase. Always prominent, Henry de Bromhead’s horse jumped well, he moved in behind the leader Duc Des Genievres at the end of the back straight, and he moved to the front on the run to the second last fence. He stayed on well from there over the last two fences, and he kept on well up the hill to win nicely. The winning time was not great, but he finished over 3l clear of Duc Des Genievres, who was a high-class novice hurdler last season – he was second in the Deloitte Hurdle and fifth in the Ballymore Hurdle behind Samcro – and who was well backed here.

This was just A Plus Tard’s second chase. On his debut for his current connections, the Cheveley Park Stud horse only just failed to catch Dr Mikey in a 2m 4f beginners’ chase at Gowran Park in November. This was a nice step forward from that, and there is every reason to expect that he can continue to progress. He is only four, he was the only four-year-old in Tuesday’s race, taking on 17 elders, and he beat them nicely. He should get further than this intermediate trip, he is in very good hands, and he has lots of potential for progression.

Naas, 18^th December 2018