Galvin and Davy Russell edge out A Plus Tard in epic finish to Savills Chase

A Plus Tard was supposed to cement his status as the heir apparent to the Cheltenham Gold Cup crown, but instead he got a taste of his own medicine when Davy Russell brought Galvin with a timely surge to sucker punch Rachael Blackmore's mount in another epic Savills Chase.

A year ago, A Plus Tard edged out the 2018 hero Kemboy in the dying strides under Darragh O'Keeffe. This time, the boot was on the other foot as he was the one denied on the line after Russell conjured a second run out of Galvin to foil the odds-on favourite.

Russell had sat closest to the pace-setting Kemboy throughout. He was still on the leader's heels as they touched down two out, but Blackmore unceremoniously shut the door on him after guiding A Plus Tard around the outside to launch her challenge.

Just as had been the case in the Betfair Chase, the 2021 Gold Cup runner-up had fenced with aplomb and the writing looked to be on the wall for the remainder of the field when Blackmore squeezed him into the lead as they took the final fence. This time, however, he didn't get away.

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After Russell had extricated himself from Blackmore's pocket, he brought Galvin wide into the straight and he galvanised one more sustained effort from the doughty stayer to blindside A Plus Tard, who had knuckled down to just get on top of the obstinate Kemboy. There was a short head in it at the end, with Kemboy less than a length back in third.

It made for a thrilling spectacle and it was a poignant third triumph in the race for Gordon Elliott. At the end of a pretty grim year, he was visibly moved to have delivered for Scottish businessman Ronnie Bartlett, who sent Galvin to be trained by their mutual friend Ian Ferguson while Elliott's licence was suspended.

Russell is also close to Ferguson and having spent nearly a year on the sidelines with a serious neck injury, this was a sweet success. It was a first Grade 1 win for the 42-year-old since Samcro's similarly last-gasp Marsh Novices' Chase victory at Cheltenham in 2020.

"That was mighty," he said after a belated first Savills win. "I'm delighted. It's very special for Ronnie Bartlett – I can't stress that enough. He has been a fabulous supporter of me personally and the yard. He's a very good friend so it's great to be able to do it on the big stage for him."

Davy Russell and Gordon Elliott celebrate after Galvin's victory in the Savills ChaseCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Russell's injury denied him the chance to ride Galvin when he won the National Hunt Chase, which was open to professionals last March due to Covid restrictions, and he was also sidelined when the horse split Frodon and Minella Indo on his Down Royal reappearance.

He is back in business now and BoyleSports cut Galvin to 5-1 (from 16) to give the three-time champion jockey a second success in the Gold Cup in March.

"I didn't know where the line was," Russell said of the frantic finish. "I was driving with my head down and the further away the line was, the better chance I had, because he really motored at the back of the last.

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"He'd got outpaced and I'd have preferred to be coming from behind, but there was no-one filling the gap to Paul [Townend, Kemboy's rider] and I was very comfortable during the race. He jumped fantastic and is as game as a pebble."

Elliott is also now charting a path to a second Gold Cup. Few would have envisaged this seven-year-old progressing into such a prospect, but he has gradually brought him through the ranks.

"It's unbelievable," the trainer admitted after this 7-1 win. "I had a tear in my eye after the race and I'm not afraid to say it. We've had a rough year and for the team and Ronnie and Ian, it's brilliant for the horse to do this for them. We started off having a bit of fun around Perth with him and he has never let us down. He's the horse of a lifetime. He stays like hell and we'll go straight to the Gold Cup now."

A Plus Tard will do the same. Just two days after his reigning champion Minella Indo flopped at Kempton, this was another setback for Henry de Bromhead, who was phlegmatic about the defeat here.

"He ran a cracker and just got caught, sadly," he said of A Plus Tard. "When we were walking in I was watching the replay and Willie Mullins said to me, 'I know the feeling'. It went our way against him last year, but it was a great run and the horse jumped brilliant. Rachael was happy, it was just a shame we didn't win – fair play to the winner."

Despite the defeat, A Plus Tard retains his position at the head of the ante-post market to go one better in the Gold Cup. He started the day a general 2-1 shot and was initially pushed out to 5-1 by Paddy Power, before then being clipped back into 4-1.

He didn't stamp his authority as expected, but is still deemed the most likely winner. That seems to encapsulate the funk surrounding the division. In the meantime, it makes for some enthralling racing. Over to you, Al Boum Photo.

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Upping The Ante star Gavin Lynch joins the Racing Post roster for a weekly Saturday column throughout the jumps season. He'll offer a guide to the weekend action, highlight the horses and races to watch and share his punting wisdom. Read it every Saturday in the Racing Post or online from 4pm every Friday, exclusively for Members' Club subscribers. Sign up to Members' Club here for more top jumps season insight.