TARD TO CALL
But star’s a huge Plus in Fortria
THE Henry de Bromhead- trained A Plus Tard should prove the star attraction on Troytown day in Navan tomorrow.
Whil e t h e f e a t ure d € 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 handicap chase l ooks a virtually i mpossible puzzle t o s olv e, t he Tote- sponsored Fortria Chase and Lismullen Hurdle, both Grade 2 events, plus the For Auction Novice Hurdle ( Grade 3) a n d a f a s c i n a t i n g beginners chase l ook intriguing events.
And 167- rated A Plus
Tard, both a Grade 1 and Cheltenham Festival winner, representing de Bromhead , Cheveley
Pa r k S t u d a n d R a c h a e l Blackmore, looks a cut above his five rivals in the Fortria.
An impressive winner of the Close Brothers at Cheltenham last year, six- year- old A Plus Tard raced only three times l ast season and was turned over by Ballyoisin in this race on his seasonal bow.
B u t h e mad e t h e Gra d e 1 breakthrough when turning over Chacun Pour Soi i n the Paddy ’s
Rewards Club at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting.
Last time out, he ran a huge race in the Ryanair at Cheltenham, finishing a close third behind Min and Saint Calvados.
We’ve probably not seen the best of a Plus Tard yet. And he’s expected to l and the odds tomorrow before returning to Grade 1 company in the coming weeks, perhaps in the John Durkan.
With wins at Galway and Listowel under his belt, the Willie Mullins, i nset, t rain ed N ’g olo must concede weight to his seven rivals in the Fo r Au c t i o n No v i c e Hurdle, a race Gordon Elliott has won three times in the last four years.
And, despite the claims of the Mullins runner and Noel Meade’s Jesse Evans, I l i ke the Cullentra representative Eskylane, si xth to Ferny Hollow i n th e Champion Bumper at Cheltenham and expected to strip a lot fitter than when making a successful hurdlin g debut at Punchestown l ast month – when beating Gabynako.