Only a good horse can be placed in a Gold Cup, but after Florida Pearl's distant third to See More Business yesterday, a dreadful sense of anti-climax seemed to envelop Cheltenham. Florida Pearl, after all, was not supposed to be just good. He was supposed to be potentially great.

The scene had apparently been set for him when Teeton Mill injured a tendon and was pulled up early in the race. But how quickly we forget. The scene had also been set for Dorans Pride last year when See More Business was dramatically carried out. He couldn't take advantage and neither could Florida Pearl.

In truth, Florida Pearl never convinced yesterday. His jumping was adequate without being spectacular and, worryingly, Richard Dunwoody was persistently tapping him down the shoulder with his whip in the effort to make ground down the backstretch. It was all most unFlorida Pearlish.

A cut-throat pace had by then finished off Double Thriller, Escartefigue and Dorans Pride, leaving the supposed minnows Go Ballistic and See More Business in the front rank. Florida Pearl got into an A1 firing position to pick them off down the hill, but when Dunwoody pressed the trigger only blanks emerged.

As the heavily-backed favourite floundered, Go Ballistic, fourth two years ago but an unconsidered 66 to 1 shot yesterday, started to power up the hill. But if any jockey knows Go Ballistic it is Mick Fitzgerald. The Wexford rider was on Go Ballistic's back in 1997 and, despite being all out on See More Business, he was always confident of getting past him.

It was only a length at the finish but his confidence was justified. See More Business was second favourite last year when the injured Cyborgo controversially carried him out. He appeared a shadow of his former self this season, but Fitzgerald and his trainer/brother-in-law Paul Nicholls were convinced blinkers made all the difference.

"I schooled him with blinkers and without and it was like sitting on two different horses. Without them he gave no regard to plain fences, but I told Paul that with them he would knock these out of the way," said Fitzgerald.

"What a difference a year makes," was the consensus of opinion among owners Paul Barber and John Keighley. "It should have been two Gold Cups and I hope they won't start saying it was a bad Gold Cup because we won and Go Ballistic was second."

As Richard Dunwoody unsaddled Florida Pearl he said: "He looks quite stiff and was not moving right when I pulled him up." Willie Mullins agreed but was not willing to use it as an excuse.

"I was not happy with his jumping, which was not as supple as I expected. As a result he used the tank to get there and hadn't enough to get up the hill. Balla Sola gave me hope, but the rest of my horses have not been firing and maybe they are not spot on," he said.

Dorans Pride faded to second last of the nine finishers after going out very quickly, and Michael Hourigan said: "Too much use was made of him. Everything that was upside him cracked and eventually he had to crack too."

It was a disappointing fifth Cheltenham appearance for Dorans Pride, but See More Business proved that it is possible to return to the Gold Cup and win. It was something Willie Mullins took heart from.

"That's the first time Florida Pearl has been under pressure in a race and it will be good experience for him. He's put some good horses behind him today and hopefully he'll be back to win one some day. It's just a question of whether he can improve 15 to 20 lengths," he said. A good horse can do that. The great ones, however, rarely have to answer that question.

Reports circulating Cheltenham last night suggested that connections had decided to retire Teeton Mill because of the injury he sustained yesterday. But Stephen Winstanley, representing the horse's owners The Winning Line, stressed: "He has not been retired at this stage although he has an injury which might mean he does have to be retired.

"Until he is thoroughly checked over by the vets it's impossible to say what's going to happen. I'm told that some horses can race again after this sort of injury so we'll just have to see."