IT’S a big day for A Plus Tard in the Savills Chase on Wednesday. The Cheveley Park Stud-owned chaser will either be back in the game for a Gold Cup title defence or even further adrift in that quest.

His performance at Haydock was a head-scratcher but in many ways connections would have been pleased that something untoward showed up on blood tests in the days after the race. At least that offers an explanation.

He still has to come back from that and show no ill effects but you’d be much more willing to give him another chance now that he is likely to have a clean bill of health.

Out of sync

That said prices around the 6/4 mark seen only fair. He was beaten in this race last season, and though running well in second, his performance was well out of sync with his other two runs.

Backing him at 8/1 for the Gold Cup probably makes more sense because if he does bounce back here, he’ll be going straight to Cheltenham and would have to be feared given what he did in the race last season.

This could well be the proverbial Gold Cup for Conflated who was excellent over this course and distance when springing an 18/1 surprise last February.

That performance was probably underrated at the time but he more than proved himself at a higher level on his next two starts, falling at the second last when leading the chase on a full-throttle Allaho in the Ryanair Chase and then closing right down on a fresh Clan Des Obeaux at Aintree.

Drifted

His seasonal debut in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase was a very promising run, considering he drifted significantly in the betting beforehand, but still went close enough in third and that will have set him up nicely for this contest.

Galvin was back in fourth in that race, which was a very disappointing effort considering how well he won at Punchestown previously, so like A Plus Tard, he has something to prove now. The same owner could run Stattler here but that would be a tall order for the National Hunt Chase winner on his seasonal debut.

Fury Road is worth considering at a big price. At the same Down Royal meeting, he was a game winner of a Grade 2 over an inadequate trip.

He’ll have to step up significantly now but he won the Neville Hotels Novice Chase over this course and distance 12 months ago and had the two favourites for the King George behind him when second at Aintree.

It’s also a reasonably big day for Flooring Porter as while his seasonal debut wasn’t as disappointing as A Plus Tard’s, he was probably a level below where he was at 12 months ago in the Lismullen Hurdle, where he was well held in fourth behind Bob Olinger. In the Jack de Bromhead Christmas Hurdle, he’ll take on that rival again and probably his old foe Klassical Dream, who was a somewhat controversial winner of this race last season, when Paul Townend stole a march at the start.

Bob Olinger is another head-scratcher. It looked all set that he was going to win well at Navan but he was undone by a most unlikely candidate in the re-opposing Home By The Lee.

His ability to finish a race was called into question there and he remains an enigma of sorts, but again this race will be a good test of him, considering he now has race fitness on side.

Queens Brook may be given a chance at this trip, with Gordon Elliott mooting that possibility earlier in the month.

Elsewhere on probably the best card of the four days at Leopardstown, the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle should present a good betting heat. There are a number of intriguing entries including Grand National winner Minella Times and the much touted Alfa Mix who could return to hurdles.

Willie Mullins could allow the smart mare Allegorie De Vassey to make her chase debut in the two-mile-five-furlong beginners’ chase.

She is already towards the head of the betting for the Mares’ Chase, despite her novice status, and it could be significant if she runs here, considering this is where Galopin Des Champs was so impressive on his debut last season.