28th-Dec-2020

I think that it is correct that Minella Indo is favourite for the Savills Chase, but (while he remains a live Cheltenham Gold Cup prospect) he is not a bet for the Savills Chase at 7/4.

His stable companion A Plus Tard is though. We had Henry de Bromhead’s horse on side when he won the two-mile chase at last year’s Christmas Festival, and this is a different ball game, stepping up to three miles. But two miles was always on the sharp side for him. It was the extended distance and the fast pace and the stiff finish that allowed him get on top of Chacun Pour Soi last year, probably allied to the fact that Chacun Pour Soi was making his seasonal debut.

All A Plus Tard’s other good form is over two and a half miles, his Close Brothers Chase win, his Ryanair Chase third. But even over two and a half miles, he stays well.  Certainly, in the Ryanair Chase last March, it looked like he could do better over an even longer trip. He is worth another try over three miles.

He raced over three miles once before, in the Growise Chase at Punchestown in 2019 when he was beaten pointless by Delta Work. But that was going right-handed. He is a much better horse going left.

He was beaten by Castlegrace Paddy in the Fortria Chase on his debut this season, but he has been beaten now in all three of his seasonal debuts since he joined Henry de Bromhead. As well as that, that was over two miles, a trip that just looks to be too sharp for him now.

We know that he goes well at Leopardstown, and we know that he is classy, and we know that he goes well at this time of year. There is every chance that he will get three miles all right, and he could even improve for the step up in trip.

A PLUS TARD WON (ADV 9/1, SP 15/2)