Architect Tips has previewed the Savills Chase 2021 and has one ante-post tip for consideration.
Savills Chase
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Savills Chase 2021 Tips: Ante-Post Preview
Ireland’s four-day Christmas Festival, at Leopardstown, is indisputably one of the biggest meetings of the year with six Grade Ones amongst the high-quality action, with the main event being the Savills’ Chase, which should provide plenty of clues to the market for Cheltenham Festival showpiece. It is run over three miles and is recognised as a suitable guide ahead of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, competed later that season in March. This year’s line-up has the potential to deliver on its promise with no fewer than nine Cheltenham Festival winners traditionally covering the first half of the market. In addition, this could be one of the best renewals in recent years and if it can serve up something similar to last year’s thriller, then we are in for a real treat, so now may not be a bad time to fire an early shot in the hope of securing some potential value ahead of final declarations.
Henry de Bromhead’s A Plus Tard, an ultra-impressive winner of the Betfair Chase at Haydock, heads the betting at 11/10 in a bid to repeat last year’s heroics. He just nailed the Willie Mullins’ pair Kemboy and Melon in the final strides, having touched 150/1 in-running, demonstrating plenty of staying power and stamina in abundance in the latter stages to lift the prize before going onto finish runner-up in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. His twenty-two length demolition job in the Betfair Chase, however, was breathtaking and, while the form is questionable on face value - such as three-time winner Bristol De Mai failing to complete and the remainder in behind performing below their best, with the exception of runner-up Royal Pagaille, there’s no disguising the giant progression the seven-year-old has made in the past twelve months, especially on the Merseyside last-time-out with how well he travelled, jumped before quickening away from his opposition under a motionless Rachael Blackmore on return to action. There are very few reasons to try and take him on despite only trading 5/4 at the time of writing - in comparison to his 15/2-winning price tag around this time last year. If he arrives at Leopardstown in the same form that he showed at Haydock, he is the one they all have to beat as he goes in search of back-to-back victories in the three-mile chase highlight in Ireland.
Plenty of emerging talents such as National Hunt Challenge Cup Novices' Chase hero - Galvin, two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Al Boum Photo and Dan Skelton’s impressive Many Clouds winner - Protektorat among the entries at this current stage. The one who could be the value against the market leader may form in the shape of Al Boum Photo, but his participation maybe in doubt with Willie Mullins revealing that a trip to Tramore on New Year’s Day is very tempting, a tried-and-tested route, in a bid to win their best race for a fourth successive year. The latter, however, confirmed his stamina for three-miles when seeing off former Gold Cup winner Native River at Aintree with the minimum of fuss and his connections might send him over to Ireland for this option, especially now knowing he stays the trip and is improving with each start. The only caveat I have with him, though, is the fact that he’ll need another personal best to beat the Irish on his first crack at the highest-level and, for that reason alone, I’m not quite sure the 9/1 about him appeals at the moment.
A course specialist, who could provide resistance to the favourite, especially if returning to his best is Delta Work. It was a bit of a disastrous season for the 2019 winner of this race,
but overall, he’s got a good record at this venue and it’s very likely Gordon Elliott has trained him to the minute in order to regain his crown. Jack Kennedy is out injured, which is unfortunate, but Davy Russell - who gets on well with him - could take to the saddle and is the viable option. If Delta Work can come on for his reappearance in October, he could be underestimated at double-figure digits - likewise to last year’s runner-up Kemboy, who often goes well around here, with form figures reading 214221. The nine-year-old has lined-up in this race for the last three years - winning it by seven-lengths in 2018 before finishing fourth in 2019, as well as his brave half-a-length second last year. This is clearly his “Gold Cup” so with all the form in the book to his name and the ability to make an impact, he could go well at a big price.
It’s a real shame that Envoi Allen might never fulfil the huge potential he showed earlier in his career in which he practically looked unbeatable. With no disrespect to Henry De Bromhead, who’s a top-class trainer, the seven-year-old has looked a shadow of his former self since joining his team but it’s also possible that this dual Cheltenham Festival winner hasn’t been the same since falling early in the Marsh. He ultimately returned a beaten 7/4 favourite when only sixth in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase but I’m inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt one last time, especially with the step up in trip to three-miles likely to see him in better light which could enable get him to get back on track. This five-time Grade 1 winner obviously rates a risky proposition at present - but ignore him at your peril - as he looks a shade overpriced at 14s with most firms.
Melon, who’s currently trading at 16/1, looked back to form when third in that same race last time, belying odds of 50/1. He came ever-so-close to winning this twelve months ago, where Patrick Mullins committed him a fair way out from the finish and he may well have won without a bad mistake at the second last. He failed to match that form in his next three starts but his masterful trainer will have him primed for this again and I have seen worse 16/1 chances in Grade One’s. The one to take out of the John Durkan though, who might be a bit underrated is JANIDIL (best price 12-1), who put in a huge performance to finish second to Allaho, keeping tabs on the winner all the way to the line and there should be more to come from him over three-miles. He proved his decisive victory in last season’s Grade 1 Underwriting Exchange Gold Cup Novice Chase to be no fluke and he is no doubt a chaser rising through the ranks.
A smart hurdler, who won three of his seven starts, as well as finishing fifth in last year's Albert Bartlett at the Cheltenham Festival, the seven-year-old graduated to chasing handsomely last season. The improvement he made since falling in the Flogas Novice Chase when still in contention is quite remarkable and there appeared to be no fluke about his Grade 1 victory in April, where he moved menacingly through the field before producing a power-packed surge to score by over four-lengths. At the time, admittedly, I thought the form was questionable but I have come to realise that he’s just a very good horse, who hasn’t been given the credit he deserved. He wasn’t suited to the drop back to the minimum trip next-time-out when beaten somewhat sixteen-lengths by star stablemate Energumene, but it was interesting to see connections roll the dice with him on that occasion. This month’s Punchestown comeback in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase – was promising, where his very good jumping technique saw him creep into contention on the home-turn before looking the winner momentarily.
I was, however, even more impressed by how he kept finding for pressure in behind the Ryanair Chase winner and it was to his credit that he managed to diminish the gap to just two-lengths at the post, which pointed towards a potential step up to three-miles in due course as he remains totally unexposed over extended trips going forward. Considering the depth of the field, it was a career-best performance, and he’s clearly maturing all the time, as well as getting stronger. This race will prove the biggest test to his credentials, but with plenty of optimism that he will get this longer trip, more success or another bold display could be on the cards.
