Florida Pearl displays his credentials

It's the same as it ever was. Florida Pearl wins the Hennessy and everyone tries to use it to batter his Gold Cup claims into a pulp. It's just as well the horse has earned over £550,000 in prize money or he might get paranoid.

Yet again Florida Pearl was immensely impressive yesterday while at the same time looking vulnerable. It's a curious mixture that had some pointing to his stable-companion Alexander Banquet as a more likely prospect to tackle the Cheltenham hill but Florida Pearl still remains a legitimate Gold Cup contender.

Richard Johnson, stepping in for the stood down Ruby Walsh, had been a self-confessed doubter of Florida Pearl but yesterday's two-length victory has turned him into a convert.

"He travelled really well. He was just bored in front but when Alexander Banquet came to him at the second last he picked up again. He was idling on the run in and seems to be a tougher and stronger horse than he used to be," Johnson said.

One man's idling is another man's weakening but Florida Pearl's overall performance was hard to pick holes in yesterday.

Nick Dundee's crashing fall at the fifth robbed the race of some interest but Florida Pearl "tanked" his way through the rest of the race and was always travelling much too well for Alexander Banquet and Dorans Pride.

"I thought Richard was very confident on the horse and I was delighted with the way they got on. He jumped well and all the schooling seemed to pay off. In fact everything went 100 per cent right," said trainer Willie Mullins.

He was also thrilled with Alexander Banquet who was returning from a couple of training setbacks since he ran in Newbury's Hennessy in November. However his initial thoughts about giving the horse another run before Cheltenham were later discarded.

In contrast Nick Dundee, who emerged unscathed from his fall, could have another pre-Cheltenham warm-up in the Red Mills Chase at Gowran on Saturday week. "He seems fine after the fall and Gowran is a possibility," reported Edward O'Grady.

A day later Dorans Pride could have his own Gold Cup warm-up and a clash with Limestone Lad in Navan's Boyne Hurdle.

"Wherever Florida Pearl finishes at Cheltenham my horse can't be far behind. He jumped a little better today but he can't really handle that ground. I'll give him one more run over hurdles. He showed again there are plenty of gears there between the fences," said Michael Hourigan.

On a day of major Cheltenham trials it was Willie Mullins yet again who grabbed the most attention following Davenport Milenium's winning debut in the last. Mullins' Cheltenham bumper record means his runners are the most scrutinised in the race but Davenport Milenium may not even be his number one contender this year.

"I've one that is faster - but maybe not better," Mullins smiled afterwards. Asked what this flying machine's name is, Mullins replied: "He's still unnamed!"

That had Cashmans bookmakers running so scared that Davenport Milenium got a 10 to 1 quote for Cheltenham but "Un-named (Willie Mullins)" gets a two point shorter quote at 8 to 1.

Sackville is as low as 7 to 2 for the SunAlliance Chase following his defeat of Arctic Copper and Well Ridden in the PJ Moriarty Novice Chase but the stewards were more interested in the performance of Well Ridden's jockey Barry Cash who received a two-day ban for an "injudicious" ride.

Earlier Cash had a happier time when the 20 to 1 Lisaan destroyed some reputations in the Cashmans Juvenile Hurdle. The winner will not go to Cheltenham and will instead wait for Liverpool. The odds on Pittsburgh Phil finished lame but was still pushed out to 33 to 1 for the Triumph Hurdle.

Colonel Braxton in contrast did all that was expected of him and more when landing the Deloitte & Touche Hurdle and Sheltering cemented his position as the Foxhunters Chase favourite with a smooth defeat of Lucky Town.

A course record £2,066,871 was bet with the bookmakers yesterday while a further £399,227 was bet with the Tote by the 16,567 attendance.