A Plus Tard, the four-tie Grade One winner with whom Rachael Blackmore secured a historical Cheltenham Gold Cup victory in 2022, has been retired from racing elderly 10.
Cheveley Park Stud’s gelding, educated via Henry de Bromhead, loved his best carrying hour that day at Prestbury Park – sprinting up the Cheltenham hill to win via 15 lengths. In doing so, Rachael turned into the primary feminine jockey to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
“He was once elegant that day, now not best visually spectacular, but additionally one of the vital very best rated winners of the Gold Cup within the closing 30 years, in addition to being one of the vital perfect horses we’ve got ever had in our backyard,” stated Henry.
“We have been extremely joyful when this very particular horse received Cheveley Park Stud their first Gold Cup.”
The Kapgarde son was once the primary horse Henry educated for Cheveley Park Stud and the Thompson circle of relatives. He had received over hurdles in France sooner than he was once purchased via bloodstock agent Alex Elliott for the stud.
He received the Shut Brothers Freshmen Handicap on the Cheltenham Pageant in his first season operating within the Cheveley Park Stud colors. His primary wins additionally incorporated the Grade One Savills Chase at Leopardstown in 2020 and a 22-length victory within the 2021 Betfair Chase at Haydock. Rachael partnered the gelding to 5 of his six wins for Henry and Cheveley Park Stud, Darragh O’Keeffe the opposite.
He’s going to now unwind at Knockeen, then go back to Cheveley Park Stud for his retirement.
Cheveley Park Stud director Richard Thompson stated: “My father and I sat down in early 2018 and agreed a plan to shop for some Nationwide Hunt horses to be educated in Eire with the purpose of profitable the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
“Simply over 4 years later, we completed this purpose when Rachael Blackmore rode A Plus Tard to victory in entrance of 70,000 other people on the first Cheltenham Pageant submit Covid. My father watched A Plus Tard win the Savills Chase in an exhilarating end on tv on 28 December 2020. He died the very subsequent day. It was once the closing horse race he ever watched.”
He added: “A Plus Tard was once additionally the primary Cheltenham winner within the purple, white and blue Cheveley Park Stud colors and in addition Rachael Blackmore’s first winner at Cheltenham, within the 2019 Indexed Shut Brothers Freshmen Chase.
“For the entire above causes, A Plus Tard will all the time be an excessively particular horse within the historical past of my oldsters’ possession of Cheveley Park Stud.
“A different thanks to Henry de Bromhead and all of the workforce at Knockeen and to Rachael too. To win the Cheltenham Gold Cup is the Holy Grail of Nationwide Hunt racing and we will be able to by no means disregard 18 March 2022.”
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