Micko's Dream is set to take up the Morris Oil Chase option this weekend but the Clonmel feature will have to do without its greatest star.

Dorans Pride, who would have been trying for a remarkable fifth success in a row, misses Sunday's race due to a leg injury and it will be Christmas at the earliest before the star veteran returns to action.

"He has a torn muscle that kept him out of the big race at Down Royal and has hit him again," said his tarainer, Michael Hourigan yesterday.

"We thought it had settled up but he did a little bit of work on Saturday and he wasn't 100 per cent the following day," he added.

"It will mean a month standing in so it will be at least Christmas before he's back. Nothing has ever happened to him before and while it's unfortunate, it could be worse," said Hourigan.

It leaves just 10 horses in the Morris Oil and Willie Mullins is leaning towards it for Micko's Dream instead of the shorter Woodlands Park Chase at Naas on Saturday.

"More than likely he will go to Clonmel," remarked Mullins yesterday before confirming his stable star Florida Pearl on course for the Durkan Chase at Punchestown on December 9th.

"He rode out this morning for the first time and we were delighted with him," he said.

Florida Pearl picked up a bang on a leg when finishing a disappointing third on his seasonal reappearance at Down Royal.

An intriguing entry for the Morris Oil is Nick Dundee who hasn't run since February at Gowran when unseating his rider behind Bob Treacy.

"I don't know if he will run," said Edward O'Grady yesterday. "It was something of a throwaway entry. He is coming up towards a race but I'm not sure where it will be."

With Micko's Dream likely to be targeted at Clonmel, attention at the Naas feature on Saturday will possibly centre on Knife Edge who reportedly twisted a shoe on his comeback race at Down Royal.

Another Woodlands entry is the Ericsson winner Rince Ri who is being prepared for the Durkan Chase.

An interesting support act at Naas could be Youlneverwalkalone who features among the entries for the Beginners' Chase.

Christy Roche is wrestling with the decision whether or not to keep the JP McManus-owned horse over hurdles following a decent return to action at Punchestown.

Meanwhile, leading racing figures in Northern Ireland yesterday called for the immediate introduction of Sunday racing with betting to the province.

A meeting with Minister for Social Development Nigel Dodds over the matter has been requested by the Northern Ireland Racing Industry and Northern Ireland Hotel and Catering Association.

James Nicholson, chairman of Down Royal racecourse, said: "The Northern Ireland assembly voted 48 to 28 in favour of Sunday racing last year, yet Nigel Dodds continues to ignore the democratic process.

"This is a simple one-item issue and could be implemented very quickly."