SAM TURNER
BRITAIN’S No 1 TIPSTER FOR TODAY’S SELECTIONS
AL Boum Photo will strive to add his name to a roll call of National hunt greats by completing a momentous third Gold Cup win this afternoon. Golden miller, Cottage Rake and the legendary Arkle preceded this century’s achievements of Best mate in winning the marquee chasing feature three or more times. And, following an identical preparation to last year, confidence will be high within team mullins that the nine-year-old can pull off an historic hat-trick. however, a select band of improving chasers lie in wait for mullins’ horse, led by A PLUS TARD for whom victory would leave trainer henry De Bromhead as the only handler in history to have completed the Champion hurdle, Champion Chase and Gold Cup treble. De Bromhead has a handy second string in minella Indo, but it is Savills Chase winner A Plus tard which is the primary pick for a team who have barely put a foot wrong all week. his Leopardstown win in December answered any stamina queries, as the seven-year-old took nearly all of the venue’s straight to overhaul two rivals who looked to have got away from him. the form of De Bromhead has been little short of astonishing from the word go this week, with honeysuckle simply spellbinding in tuesday’s Champion hurdle, before Bob olinger, Put the Kettle on and telme something girl impressed in their respective challenges, so it would seem folly to take on the yard. Champ certainly won’t mind the drying ground and proved at Newbury in the Game Spirit Chase over two miles that he can jump at pace, so he may emerge as A Plus tard’s most serious threat.