Henry de Bromhead believes A Plus Tard is on the right track as he continues preparations for a Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup defence.
The Cheveley Park-owned runner reversed the 2021 result with stablemate Minella Indo when powering to an impressive 15-length verdict in the blue riband last March.
A Plus Tard has had just one run since that triumph, when pulled up as an odds-on favourite at Haydock, with a planned Christmas outing at Leopardstown scuppered by a last-minute setback on the day of the Savills Chase.