Cheltenham Gold Cup: A Plus Tard Profile
Henry De Bromhead's A Plus Tard was a gallant runner-up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last season, but he will look to go one better in the 2022 running of the blue riband event, and we take a look at the Irish raider ahead of the showpiece event on March 18...
A Plus Tard
Age: 8
Trainer: Henry De Bromhead
Chase Runs: 13
Chase Wins: 5
Notable Race Wins: 2019 Novices' Handicap Chase (Cheltenham Festival), 2019 Paddy's Rewards Club Chase (Grade 1), 2020 Savills Chase (Grade 1), 2021 Betfair Chase (Grade 1)
Still only an eight-year-old, A Plus Tard has quickly become one of the finest staying chasers in the UK & Ireland, and he showed his class when finishing a gallant runner-up to Minella Indo in the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup. Having gone into last year's event on the back of a fine victory in the Grade 1 Savills Chase at Leopardstown, Henry De Bromhead's charge relished his return to the Cheltenham Festival - a place he'd been victorious before back in 2019 - and he pushed his stablemate Minella Indo all the way to the line.
Expected to improve this campaign, A Plus Tard rocketed to the head of the Cheltenham Gold Cup betting with an absolutely exquisite comeback display in the Grade 1 Betfair Chase at Haydock Park. Facing a course specialist in Bristol De Mai, as well as fellow Gold Cup hope Royale Pagaille, A Plus Tard produced a sublime performance to pull a staggering 22 lengths clear of the latter of those rivals, as he produced arguably the finest staying chase performance of the season.
Remaining on home soil for his second start, A Plus Tard lined up in the Grade 1 Savills Chase at Leopardstown's Christmas meeting, but he was unable to record back-to-back wins, as he was edged out by a short head by Gordon Elliott's Galvin, who he's expected to lock horns again with in the Gold Cup on March 18.
Placed in all 13 career chase starts, A Plus Tard is most certainly one of the most consistent performers in this division, and he certainly heads to Cheltenham in fine fettle and he's sure to put up a bold bid for victory, and will prove very popular amongst punters.