Florida Pearl now back on course

The good ship Florida Pearl emphatically returned to course at Leopardstown yesterday when the most exciting racehorse in the country won the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup. Florida Pearl is now as low as 9 to 4 favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup on March 18th.

There was a palpable sense of tension among the 17,000 crowd during the six and a half minutes of the race.

At Christmas, the previously unbeaten Florida Pearl was hailed as the second coming of Pegasus before the feelgood roller coaster hit the rocks of the third-last fence in the Ericsson Chase. This time, Florida Pearl sailed over his bogey obstacle and a relieved throng began to bay him home.

However, after looking to be galloping all over his opposition on the turn-in, Florida Pearl had to be ridden right out to hold his old rival, Escartefigue. Florida Pearl returned to a hero's welcome and a beaming Richard Dunwoody proclaimed: "I think we made a couple of lengths at the third last this time!"

The seven-year-old, who has won at the Cheltenham festival for the last two years, is now a best-priced 3 to 1 to complete the hat-trick. Florida Pearl's trainer, Willie Mullins, faces a pressurised 39 days until the Gold Cup, and yesterday confessed to being "relieved" with his young superstar's latest success.

"It's been a worry since Christmas but I am delighted he has done it. With Escartefigue, Dorans Pride and Teeton Mill in there too, it's going to be a good Gold Cup," he said, before revealing that his confidence had been boosted by Florida Pearl almost getting loose.

"He was having a pick of grass at home this morning and he almost got away from my wife Jackie, who was holding him. He is getting aggressive and I knew then he was really fired up," Mullins said.

Dunwoody, who recently returned from injury, was having physio up to 45 minutes before the race but Florida Pearl made it all worthwhile.

"This horse rates with the very best I have ridden. Across the board he is so strong. He jumps, he has a high cruising speed, a turn of foot and he has a great attitude," he said. Less happy was Escartefigue's rider, Richard Johnson, who received a three-day ban for his use of the whip. "It's very frustrating. The horse kept responding, he was catching the winner and he didn't finish tired or distressed," Johnson said.

Even that couldn't stop Escartefigue's trainer, David Nicholson, from dreaming of another crack at Florida Pearl, however. "He's run a bloody good race and the extra two furlongs at Cheltenham might suit us," he said. The good ship Florida Pearl isn't safely docked at Gold Cup immortality yet.