Cheltenham Festival tips: A Plus Tard can strike gold for Rachael Blackmore
Rachael Blackmore with A Plus Tard on the gallops
Having already made history once this week, Rachael Blackmore can do so again by steering A Plus Tard to victory in the Wellchild Cheltenham Gold Cup to crown a sensational week for both herself and Henry de Bromhead.
With dual winner Al Boum Photo in opposition, there won’t be the same level of expectation on A Plus Tard as there was on the unbeaten Honeysuckle in Tuesday’s Champion Hurdle.
However, should the progressive seven-year-old deny Al Boum Photo an historic hat-trick, Blackmore will become the first woman to ride a Gold Cup winner just three days after she became the first female to win a Champion Hurdle.
That would be an astonishing double but, given A Plus Tard’s Savills Chase victory at Christmas is the single best piece of form on offer from this season, there’s every chance it will come to pass.
When A Plus Tard was beaten by Castlegrace Paddy on his seasonal reappearance over two miles in November, it was hard to envisage him emerging as a credible Gold Cup contender four months later.
Indeed, it was somewhat surprising to see him stepped up to three miles at Leopardstown given stamina limitations seemed to have been exposed on his previous crack over an extended trip when third to Delta Work in a Grade One novice chase at Punchestown in April 2019.
However, he was a different beast in the Savills, passing a searching stamina test with flying colours to win a
furiously run contest in the style of a thorough stayer.
And the way he hit the line strongly suggested having an extra two and a half furlongs to face in the Gold Cup won’t be a problem — it may even bring about further improvement.
Al Boum Photo is clearly the one to beat and commands maximum respect but this looks a better Gold Cup than the two he has won and his younger rival may have too much pace for him at the business end of proceedings.
If his jumping holds up, last year’s leading novice Champ has the raw ability to go very close but that’s a big if and a single run over two miles this season falls a long way short of the ideal preparation.
Royale Pagaille is a fascinating contender for Venetia Williams but the drying ground is an obvious concern for a horse who seems to relish testing conditions.
The frontrunning Native River won a gruelling Gold Cup duel with Might Bite in 2018 and will ensure this is a truly run race but he’s now an 11-year-old and history tells us that’s too old to win a Gold Cup.
Santini and Lostintranslation, second and third in last year’s Gold Cup, are back for another go but both horses have been a bitter disappointment this season and couldn’t be fancied with any conviction.
Ultimately, it’s hard to look beyond the top three in the market and there’s an awful lot to like about A Plus Tard.
He’s a past Festival winner with youth on his side and his Leopardstown triumph has banished any stamina doubts.
And with Blackmore and De Bromhead in such sizzling form this week, A Plus Tard can deny Al Boum Photo his place in history.
Elsewhere on Gold Cup day, Zanahiyr just gets the nod in what shapes as a cracking renewal of the JCB Triumph Hurdle.
The Nathaniel gelding is unbeaten in three starts over obstacles and the vibes have always been that he is viewed as a better horse than former stablemate Quilixios, who is in opposition having recently joined De Bromhead in the wake of Gordon Elliott’s suspension.
Like Zanahiyr and Quilixios, Tritonic is unbeaten over hurdles and the way Alan King’s charge powered clear up the straight in last month’s Adonis Hurdle at Kempton was mightily impressive.
He’s clearly very talented but there were a few moments of concern throughout that race and he may lack the star quality possessed by Zanahiyr.
The Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle looks fiercely competitive but the Fergal O’Brien-trained Alaphilippe has won three of his four starts over hurdles and proved his stamina with a 14-length Grade Two victory at Haydock last time out.
In an open contest, he shouldn’t be far away.
Elimay looks the safest bet of the day in the inaugural Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase.
The likeable seven-year-old is three from four over fences — her sole defeat coming at the hands of yesterday’s Ryanair Chase hero Allaho at Thurles in January when the front two pulled miles clear.
Meanwhile, a return to better ground can see It Came To Pass repeat last year’s win in the St. James’s Place Festival Challenge Cup for Eugene O’Sullivan.
Last year’s Grand Annual second Eclair De Beaufeu can go one better in the Grade Three McCoy Contractors County Handicap Hurdle while the Joseph O’Brien-trained Fire Attack gets the tentative each-way vote in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.
1.20: Zanahiyr (NB)
1.55: Eclair De Beaufeu
2.30: Alaphilippe
3.05: A Plus Tard
3.40: It Came To Pass
4.15: Elimay (Nap)
4.50: Fire Attack (EW)
