RACING: Almost a decade of headline-grabbing appears to have left Florida Pearl with a penchant for the dramatic entrance because the old ham milked his return to racing with characteristic panache at Fairyhouse yesterday.
The charismatic chaser might be in his last season but injury problems, age and nine months without a race still couldn't stop him landing the Grade Three Normans Grove Chase and returning to a deeply appreciative reception.
Richard Johnson hadn't ridden Florida Pearl in almost three years but the partnership was immediately in tune and didn't miss a beat disputing the lead with Rince Ri. Before the straight it became obvious that Florida Pearl was in no mood to drop tamely away and try as Rince Ri might, he couldn't land a decisive blow on the former King George and triple-Hennessy winner.
"What a relief!" gushed trainer Willie Mullins as Florida Pearl took his bows in the number one spot and rekindled some old and familiar dreams. Mullins is looking at the Grade One Ascot Chase over a mile and a half at the end of the month as a prelude to the Hennessy eight days later. But typically the Gold Cup soon raised itself in the post-race grilling.
"I would love to go for the Gold Cup again," admitted Mullins who in the past has prepared Florida Pearl to finish second and third in the great race. "It's a big task for a horse his age and Best Mate would be hard to beat but if he goes well in his next races I would certainly see him going back there," he added.
Florida Pearl has been no stranger to Fairyhouse recently, running in schooling hurdles last week and before Christmas. That came on the back of a month with the Curragh based physiotherapist, Grainne Ni Chaba.
"He had trouble with his hind-quarters and a hind-leg and she did a lot of slow work with him. He looks as strong now as I've seen him in the last few years," Mullins declared before pointing to Ascot and a possible clash with the Ericsson runner-up Le Coudray.
"Two and a half miles is a distance he is good at and I would be happy if Richard is available. If he keeps improving from Ascot we would look at the Hennessy. But I was delighted with the way he jumped today," he said.
Ladbrokes saw enough to cut Florida Pearl's Gold Cup odds to 33 to 1 from 40's and they also slashed Rince Ri's Grand National price to 20 to 1. "The National is the target and we'll run somewhere in between," Ted Walsh said while Aintree also remains the aim for Davids Lad who finished sixth.
"He blew up but stayed on well," said trainer Tony Martin.
Mark Grant opened the day with victories on the David Wachman-trained pair Cane Brake and Inexorable who gained 50 to 1 and 25 to 1 quotes respectively from Cashmans for the SunAlliance Novices' Hurdle.
However, the jockey was later stood down for 48 hours after taking a heavy fall from Light On The Broom in the Beginners Chase won by Munster.
Conor O'Dwyer, who rode Munster on his chasing debut behind Direct Bearing, switched to the other joint favourite Heads Onthe Ground and knew his fate before the second last as Barry Cash kicked the Arthur Moore-trained winner clear.
Another jockey in the wars was Paul Carberry who took a heavy fall from Instan in the novice hurdle and sustained bruising around his left kidney. He was stood down until Thursday.
The Four Pats, favourite for the handicap hurdle, was pulled up lame with a circuit to go by Ruby Walsh and victory went to the well backed topweight Celestial Light under claimer Paddy Flood.
Hume Castle will be aimed at Punchestown's National Trial before trying to emulate his ill-fated former stable mate Intelligent in the Midlands National. Jessica Harrington revealed the plan after Hume Castle overcame several jumping errors to beat off Blame The Ref in the handicap chase.
