Trainer Henry de Bromhead couldn’t hide his delight with A Plus Tard (11/10 favourite), who provided both him and jockey Rachael Blackmore with yet another Grade 1 success on British shores in 2021 with a dominant 22-length success in Saturday's Betfair Chase at Haydock Park.
Demolition job! ??
— Haydock Park Races (@haydockraces) November 20, 2021
A Plus Tard produces a scintillating performance in the Grade 1 @Betfair Chase, cantering clear under a motionless @rachaelblackmor for @HenrydeBromhead and @CPStudOfficial ???? pic.twitter.com/Kd4isxlI7t
It was a first Irish-trained success in the Grade 1 contest, which was first staged in 2005.
The pair have won some of the biggest prizes in jump racing so far this year – including the Unibet Champion Hurdle with Honeysuckle and the Randox Grand National with Minella Times – and there never looked to be a moment of worry here for the Cheveley Park Stud-owned seven year old, who stalked the front-running pair of Bristol De Mai and Royal Pagaille before sweeping to the lead in the straight.
The son of Kapgarde had well and truly settled matters by the time he had jumped the second last fence and de Bromhead was delighted to win such a prestigious prize with his first ever runner over jumps at Haydock Park.
He said: “It’s fantastic and both Rachael and A Plus Tard were just brilliant. With his preference for a left-handed track, it just seemed a good race to go for. My heart was in my mouth as normal but they were both brilliant. We’ve always gone back to two miles for his first start in the Fortria, but having been beaten for the last two years in that we’ve looked for something else.
“He’s got so much class. He’s won a Grade 1 over two miles and a couple of Grade 1 over three miles and Rachael gets a great tune out of him. He’s still only seven so fingers crossed he’s got a long career ahead of him. This was an ideal race for the horse and we had to have a go, after the 10th time I was told no Irish horse had ever won this I was starting to wonder why I bothered!
“He has this preference for left-handed tracks and seems a better horse around them, so the Savills Chase (staged at Leopardstown over Christmas) seems the sensible next option.
“We got him as a four-year-old. Alex Elliott sourced him from France for Cheveley Park and we went chasing with him straight away. He wasn’t a novice over hurdles, so he’s achieved a hell of a lot for a horse so young.”
Blackmore delight
This victory was Rachael Blackmore’s eighth Grade 1 success on British shores and she couldn’t hide her delight at the performance after the race. She said: “It was fantastic and it’s not very often that you get to ride a Grade 1 winner in that kind of fashion, but he’s an extremely classy horse and it was a very enjoyable race to ride in.
“Bristol De Mai maybe didn’t jump as well as he has before in front, but I knew he’s a fantastic horse as well and he isn’t an easy one to beat around here. Everyone was happy coming over here though with A Plus Tard and he’s done it really well. He’s got gears, he stays and he jumps really well. He’s got a very nice style of running and cruises around without doing too much, so it was a very nice performance.
“He was a little bit more on his toes today, but Henry’s horses are in fantastic form and it’s great to be a part of the team. He did nothing wrong at Cheltenham in March, Minella Indo was just the better horse on the day but Henry’s got a massive yard of stupidly talented horses and he’s bang up there.
“He has loads of class this horse and has beaten Chacun Pour Soi over two miles in Leopardstown, so has got a lot of strings in his bow and can do a lot of different things. He is a fantastic horse.”
Placed horses
Royal Pagaille (13/2) was a valiant second on his reappearance for the Venetia Williams team and his trainer was delighted with the performance.
She said: “I’m absolutely thrilled, we’ve won the English division and obviously the winner is an outstanding horse, so you have to be delighted.
“He goes on this ground, but I’ve got to look at his legs for the next fortnight, that’s really why we look for the softer ground. We’ll probably go for the King George next, he’s won twice round here and once round Kempton so we’ll try again.”
Trainer Michael Winters, responsible for third home Chatham Street Lad (28/1) said: “It was about Rachael today. We were a bit anxious about the ground but he has run well to be third.
“He can be a bit like a bulldozer with his jumping and take one or two fences with him. His jockey (Sean Quinlan) thinks that a sharper test will suit him and we could maybe look at something at Liverpool (Aintree) for him.
“His owner (Vivian Healy) is great and was keen to come here and have a go, so I’m pleased he ran well.”
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