Florida Pearl on the mend

Florida Pearl was today continuing to make good progress after tests for a suspected damaged joint.

The gelding was a beaten 4-5 favourite when finishing third in the James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal yesterday.

The nine-year-old, trained by Willie Mullins, was later found to have sustained a cut on his off-fore that needed stitching.

The race was won by Foxchapel King, who followed up his win in the Munster National at Limerick last month by turning over Florida Pearl, who had scored in the race in 1999.

Mullins said today that Florida Pearl had been seen by a veterinary expert at the Anglesey Lodge veterinary hospital at the Curragh.

He added: 'I have just got the news that he is good. They were worried that he might have damaged a joint so wanted to keep him in overnight.

'He has had an x-ray and scan, and they have done all the examinations, and found that he just has a cut and a bang which hasn`t interfered with anything else.

'It is nothing serious but they are going to keep him in for another night. He has had a course of anti-biotics for his cut and they want to keep him for another night just to observe him.

'The x-rays and scans show there doesn`t appear to be any damage and a bad bang is all he has to show for it. He will be stiff for a few days.'

Mullins added that Florida Pearl had received the expert attention of distinguished Curragh vet Ned Gowing, who had looked after Dorans Pride.

'He is one of the top vets in Ireland,' he said.

Mullins revealed that he feared he would not now have enough time to prepare Florida Pearl to run in the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown next month.

He would now wait until Christmas and aim the gelding at either the Ericcson Chase at Leopardstown or the Pertemps King George VI Chase at Kempton.

'He appears to be good so that is a bit of a relief. I was a bit disappointed with what happened but we got a race into him and it will bring him forward,' he said.

Foxchapel King, trained by Mouse Morris, made all the running yesterday and was pressed in the closing stages by Florida Pearl with Wicket Crack, a 40-1 chance, also in contention.

Three out, it looked as though Florida Pearl`s challenge would pay off but he found nothing in the last half mile and finished third behind Wicket Crack.

Foxchapel King was ridden by David Casey, who also rides Cheltenham Gold Cup candidate Sackville.

Morris said after the victory: 'I left the tactics up to David but he knew what I wanted. Foxchapel King likes to be up with the pace and he did his job well.

'He`s only really coming to himself and he will run again in the Ericsson Chase.'