While reigning supreme in any of the four championship races at the Cheltenham Festival are incredible achievements in their own right – there’s something a little extra special about finishing first past the post in its feature race – the Gold Cup.
With a roll of honour that includes the likes of all-time greats Al Boum Photo, Kauto Star, Best Mate and Arkle – it’s easy to see why this three-mile and two-and-a-half-furlong Grade 1 contest is held in such high regard.
One such thoroughbred who added his name to that star-studded list in 2022 was the Henry De Bromhead-trained A Plus Tard, who justified his 3/1 favourite’s tag to reign victorious by an emphatic 15 lengths from then defending champion and stablemate Minella Indo.
The French-bred horse entered the contest in relatively solid form, with his three outings prior to the Festival resulting in a victory and two second-place finishes. One of those second-place results came in the same race a year prior, in which he didn’t have enough down the stretch to keep up with the aforementioned Minella Indo.
A Plus Tard and jockey Rachael Blackmore would avenge that loss and then some in 2022’s renewal however, as once the gelding began to make headway and get in touch with the leader three out, his world-class turn of foot and ability to run on strongly proved too much.
Blackmore’s victory was an historic one – as it marked the first time a female had triumphed in the Cheltenham Festival’s blue-riband event.
“I was never worried about A Plus Tard’s stamina and him not staying,” Blackmore said. “I was just conscious not to use up his speed like I did last year. His stamina wasn’t the worry, the ride I was going to give him was the worry.
“Thankfully he was just as good over the last two and picked up incredibly over the last. It is an incredible feeling when you do that over the back of the last at Cheltenham. I was happy if I was going to get beaten for doing something different, as opposed to being in the position I was in last year as that definitely didn’t work. I was taking my luck and we got the split. The wall of horses in front of made sure I didn’t get there too soon.”
De Bromhead echoed Blackmore’s sentiments, heaping praise on his gelding all while noting how impressed he was with his first-string jockey’s ride.
“You have all these plans about how things are going to work out. Racing doesn’t let that happen all the time and for some reason it’s happened to me today. I just can’t explain how lucky I feel,” he said.
“The class of him there – he was so impressive and Indo ran an absolute blinder as well, he really did. He was brilliant as well. It’s incredible stuff.
“Rachael was brilliant on him. Rachael was so brave, the way she went about it, it was brilliant.
“She was really brave. I’ve kind of got to that stage that if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. They both got a lovely passage. Robbie (Power) was brilliant on Indo and Rachael amazing on A Plus Tard.”For those who are dissecting the racecards for today and are interested in betting on 2023’s edition of the Gold Cup, at the time of writing, Galopin Des Champs is the favourite at 13/8, while A Plus Tard is the second favourite at 13/2 to make it back-to-back triumphs.
