A Plus Tard will miss the Savills Chase at Leopardstown after being withdrawn on veterinary advice.Last season's Cheltenham Gold Cup hero was a last-gasp winner of the Grade One contest in 2020 and was caught close home by Galvin in last year’s renewal.Despite a disappointing seasonal reappearance when pulling up in last month’s Betfair Chase at Haydock, the Cheveley Park Stud-owned eight-year-old was a hot favourite to get back on the winning trail.However, A Plus Tard will not line up in the feature event on day three of Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival.Trainer Henry de Bromhead said: "It’s frustrating, but he’s banged his joint and we just don’t want to risk him."The vets are going to dig deeper.
He’s moving perfect, but he just banged his joint and there’s a bit of heat there, so we’ll see."Watch the Leopardstown Christmas Festival live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from 1pm