Gold Cup hero A Plus Tard set for starring role at Royal Meath Show

Gold Cup hero A Plus Tard will be one of the main attractions at the Royal Meath Show in Trim on Sunday.

The runaway winner of the 2022 Gold Cup will feature in the final of the Tattersalls Ireland Treo Eile Showing Pathway Series, which was established as a not-for-profit series in 2020 to increase the retraining of ex-racehorses. The first of eight qualifiers took place in May at the Midleton Show in Cork. 

A Plus Tard provided a landmark moment at Cheltenham when Rachael Blackmore became the first female rider to win jump racing's most prestigious prize, storming 15 lengths clear of stablemate and former winner Minella Indo. He won four Grade 1s in his career and with a peak Racing Post Rating of 181 was one of the best chasers of the last decade. 

Emily Kate Robinson will be on board A Plus Tard, while other familiar former racehorses on show will include Chris's Dream, the 2019 Troytown Chase winner at Navan, and the 19-year-old Raz De Maree, who won the 2017 Welsh Grand National for Gavin Cromwell and James Bowen who was claiming 5lb at the time. 

Jenny Murphy will be on Raz De Maree, while Joanne Quirke rides Chris's Dream. Another interesting contender is Alice Fitzgerald with her Hong Kong import Loaded. 

Caoimhe Doherty, the co-founder of Treo Eile along with Sarah Sands, said: "We're really looking forward to it and the numbers are great. We have a lovely mix of former champions and lesser known names taking part so we couldn't be any happier with the way it has panned out. 

"The weather forecast is great and there is sure to be a real feelgood factor around the place. We have the likes of A Plus Tard on show, as well as Alice Fitzgerald's Loaded so there is plenty of variety."

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