Kemboy and A Plus Tard renew Savills rivalry at Leopardstown

PA Sport Reporters
December 27, 2022 4:38 pm

Grade One highlight also stars defending champion Galvin.

Familiar foes Kemboy and A Plus Tard cross swords once again in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown on Wednesday.

In eight outings at the Dublin circuit the Willie Mullins-trained Kemboy has only been out of the first four once – with his two victories featuring this race in 2018 and the Irish Gold Cup in February last year.

It was so nearly a second Savills Chase in 2020, only to be caught close home by Henry de Bromhead’s A Plus Tard in a thrilling finish, while he was beaten less than a length into third place 12 months ago.

Kemboy’s last outing was another Grade One near-miss, to A Plus Tard’s stablemate Envoi Allen at Down Royal last month.

👀 Incredible drama!
A Plus Tard was a dramatic winner of the 2020 Savills Chase under an inspired Darragh O’Keeffe! Fingers crossed for a similar finish in the 2022 running@HenrydeBromhead | @CPStudOfficial | @LeopardstownRC | #RTVFlashback pic.twitter.com/8XYpcMYTi6

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 17, 2022

Mullins also runs Franco De Port and Royal Rendezvous, the latter winning last season’s Galway Plate and now having his first start since Punchestown in April.

“Kemboy loves the track and he always keeps some of his best runs for here,” said the Closutton handler.

“Franco De Port will probably need a bit of luck to win, but he’ll take his chance. He won at the track over two miles.

“Royal Rendezvous hasn’t run over three miles – the Galway Plate is as far as he’s run – and we felt we’d have a look to see how he goes over longer trips.

“He’s a hard horse to place with his rating and is entitled to run in the race. I’m not sure if he’ll get the trip, but we’ll see.”

Rachael Blackmore and A Plus Tard at Cheltenham in March (David Davies/PA)

Last year’s renewal saw a role reversal for A Plus Tard as he was run down by Galvin, losing out by a head.

He went from there to famously lift the Cheltenham Gold Cup in the hands of Rachael Blackmore, but left connections scratching their heads when pulled up in the Betfair Chase at Haydock on his reappearance. A “couple of issues” were subsequently discovered, however, including unsatisfactory blood test results.

Only fourth at Down Royal, Galvin is back to defend his crown and is joined by his Gordon Elliott-trained stablemates Conflated and Fury Road.

Winner of this year’s Irish Gold Cup, Conflated was one place in front of Galvin at Down Royal, while Fury Road was a Grade Two winner at that meeting.

The field is completed by the Mouse Morris-trained French Dynamite, who is trying three miles for the first time over fences after finishing runner-up in the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham.