Carberry set to partner Florida Pearl in future

Paul Carberry will partner Florida Pearl at Leopardstown next week - and is likely to stay on board the chasing star in the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup next March.

Grand National winner Carberry was given the vote yesterday in preference to champion jockey Ruby Walsh.

Florida Pearl's trainer Willie Mullins made the decision because of uncertainty over the fitness of Walsh.

Walsh, Mullins's stable jockey, has been on the sidelines since fracturing a leg in the Czech Republic in early October.

He had the final part of the plaster removed from his leg earlier this week and was hoping to be declared fit to resume next week.

But Mullins said: "Ruby couldn't give me a commitment this morning and we had to go and make our own arrangements.

"It's disappointing for the lad but if he's not 100 per cent the advice has to be that he should give it a little while longer."

Carberry stepped in for the injured Richard Dunwoody, who has since retired, when Florida Pearl won at Down Royal last month.

"Ruby has never ridden Florida Pearl in a race and it'll be difficult to get Paul off now," said Mullins.

"Florida Pearl is probably going to have one race after next week (in the Hennessy Gold Cup) before Cheltenham and it probably wouldn't make sense to change jockeys anyway."

Florida Pearl will face a maximum of 10 rivals in Tuesday's £49,000 Grade Two Ericsson Chase, with the Gold Cup winner, See More Business, missing the race. And one of the 10, Looks Like Trouble, is only in the race as insurance in case the weather forces the abandonment of the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Monday. Walsh's problems mean he will also miss the ride on Mullins's star novice chaser Alexander Banquet this weekend.

Barry Geraghty, successful on Alexander Banquet on the horse's two outings over fences, again partners the horse in the Denny Gold Medal Chase on Sunday.

But Mullins said: "Ruby will be back on Alexander Banquet - he's ridden the horse before and they get on well together."

Meanwhile, ground conditions will dictate whether trainer Paul Nicholls pitches Flaked Oats and Earthmover into the Coral Welsh National next Tuesday.

But Nicholls warned that Earthmover could be switched to a race at Cheltenham on Friday week.

The Chepstow race comes 24 hours after stablemates See More Business and Double Thriller contest the big Kempton chase.