Cheltenham Gold Cup winner A Plus Tard has returned from his shock defeat in the Betfair Chase with “a couple of issues” but is not yet ruled out oif running again over Christmas.
The Cheveley Park Stud-owned chaser was sent off the 1-2 favourite to complete his second victory in the Haydock feature on his first start of the campaign but jockey Rachael Blackmore pulled him up before the third last fence saying he was never travelling.
The eight-year-old is still engaged in the Savills Chase at Leopardstown on December 28, a race in which he was beaten a short head by Galvin last year having won it in 2020, but trainer Henry de Bromhead will not decide his participation until more tests have been completed.
“He had a couple of issues and we are working on them now and he seems much better,” said de Bromhead. “I hope they aren’t serious, he seems in great form so hopefully not, but we have to do a few more tests.
“He won’t necessarily bypass Leopardstown at Christmas and we don’t know yet for sure. He seems great, so once he passes the couple of tests and we are happy with him, we’ll go but we’ll see nearer the time.”
A Plus Tard finished second to stablemate Minella Indo in the 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup, won the Betfair Chase eight months later by 22 lengths and then emphatically turned the tables on Minella Indo at Cheltenham in March this year with a 15 length triumph.
In the process Blackmore became the first female jockey to win the Gold Cup, completing a full set of jump racing’s biggest prizes, having already won the Grand National and Champion Hurdle.
