‘No pressure’ to run A Plus Tard if not spot on for Leopardstown

Gold Cup defence remains the ultimate goal in March.

Connections of A Plus Tard will make a late call on his participation in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown next week.

Last season’s Cheltenham Gold Cup hero was a last-gasp winner of the Grade One contest in 2020, but the boot was on the other foot 12 months ago as he was headed close home by Galvin.

The Cheveley Park Stud-owned eight-year-old is favourite to regain his crown on December 28, despite a disappointing defence of the Betfair Chase at Haydock last month.

A Plus Tard was pulled up on Merseyside and while Henry de Bromhead was initially perplexed a later revealed a “couple of issues” had been discovered, including unsatisfactory blood test results.

Cheveley Park director Richard Thompson would love to see him bounce back over the Christmas period, but insists there is “no pressure” on De Bromhead to run if he is not completely happy with the brilliant chaser.

“A final decision has not been made yet. Final declarations are on Monday and we’ll leave it to Henry to see how he feels,” said Thompson.

“The horse wasn’t well obviously after Haydock and we’re still gunning for the Gold Cup in March, of course. The Savills would be great to run in – he’s run in it the last two years and run very well in it, but it’s Henry’s decision.”

While there is no definitive answer, Thompson suspects A Plus Tard picked up a bug either in transit or after arriving at Haydock ahead of his bid for back-to-back Betfair Chase wins.

Richard Thompson (right) with A Plus Tard at Haydock last year
Richard Thompson (right) with A Plus Tard at Haydock last year (Simon Marper/PA)

He added: “He wasn’t a well horse at Haydock. Between leaving Ireland on the Thursday and the race on the Saturday something happened as he was great when he came from Ireland.

“It’s just one of those things that happens. I can be well today and not well tomorrow.

“He’s a horse that’s done so well for us over the last three years. He won his first Grade One over Christmas 2019, he’s a Gold Cup winner, a Betfair Chase winner and a Savills Chase winner.

“There’s no pressure at all to run if he’s not 100 per cent.”

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