An intriguing and high-class Savills Chase, featuring the last three winners, though it went in the end to one running in the race for the first time. It was run at stop-start gallop, especially slow mid-race, and positioning approaching the closing stages was important, first and third in second and first at the point, A Plus Tard coming from a bit further back with some fast splits that he ultimately could not quite maintain. This may not prove the most reliable of form, the finishing speed from 3 out of 109.9% well above par.    

GALVIN (c169 here, 166 previously) progressed a bit further and showed a fine attitude to take this important race having looked held for much of the closing stages, close up – an advantage with the pace tepid throughout the middle sections – tapped for toe between the last 2 but rallying to get back up in the final strides. He has built up a fine record, not out of the first two in his last 10 runs, but A Plus Tard still deserves to be ahead of him on the balance of their form.  

A PLUS TARD (c169+ here, 174 previously) was beaten at odds on but lost little caste in defeat, probably best in a tactical race in which they dawdled through the middle stages and he did a lot of running in the hottest part, from 3 out to the last, travelling comfortably and making rapid headway 2 out, leading approaching the last but one paced and headed near the finish. He retained his status as favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and rightly so.

KEMBOY (c168 here and previously) ran well in his attempt to repeat his win of 2018, though he did get the run of things, left alone up front (set a respectable pace to begin with but slowed it markedly mid-race) until after 3 out, headed between the last 2 and continuing to stay on. He tended to carry his head high and jump right, neither for the first time.

MELON (c164 here and previously) is not renowned for his consistency these days but ran to the same sort of level as when beaten by Allaho at Punchestown, always around the same place and keeping on having been tapped for toe between the last 2.

JANIDIL (c162 here, 168 previously) was not discredited but seemed to find 3m, even with a tepid pace, just a bit too far for him, tracking the pace and with a chance, though under pressure, between the last 2 before finding no extra.

DELTA WORK (c142 here, 162 previously) got into a race that did not suit him at all, though it would be a stretch to say he shaped well, in mid-field and making a mistake 2 out at the hottest part of the race, soon beaten after. He is better judged on what he did at Down Royal, though it is now 6 runs since he last won (Irish Gold Cup in 2020 on back of win in this in 2019).

FRANCO DE PORT (c140 here, 157 previously) seems likely to prove best at shorter, quite possibly at around 20f, held up and a shade keen, moving closer going to 3 out but getting 2 out wrong (not his first mistake) then weakening.

SAMCRO (c136 here, 160? previously) is looking a shadow of his former self, in touch but less than fluent until weakening quickly 2 out.