Florida Pearl’s Festival bid in doubt

FLORIDA PEARL is unlikely to make a sixth visit to the Cheltenham Festival after it was revealed that the 11-year-old scoped badly after being pulled up in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Speaking yesterday, trainer Willie Mullins admitted his charge was “just okay”.

“He has lost a lot of weight and he scoped bad after the race,” he said.

“It offers a good excuse for his poor performance but he had worked and scoped clean earlier in the week.”

Immediate plans are on hold for the Florida Son gelding but the trainer is taking an optimistic view about the chances of his being seen on the track again this season.

“We’ll see what treatment we can use when we talk to the vets,” he said. “But the short term is on hold and I doubt he will be going to Cheltenham and, hopefully, we can prepare him for Aintree or Punchestown.”

Sunday’s race was won by evens favourite Beef Or Salmon who is a best price 5-1 with Paddy Power for the Tote Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Meanwhile there will be a maximum of nine runners contesting the Ritz Club Ascot Chase at the Berkshire track on Saturday following yesterday announcement of the five-day acceptors.

They are headed by French raider Douze-Douze who is set to travel from the Bordeaux yard of Guillaume Macaire to contest the extended two miles, three furlongs event.

Martin Pipe will choose from three representatives in the shape of Tiutchev, Tresor De Mai and Wahiba Sands while Paul Nicholls and Nicky Henderson could be double-handed in the Grade One affair.

Fondmort and Geos remain from Henderson's original trio of entries while Nicholls, who entered four, relies on the chances of Fadalko and Young Devereaux, recent winner of the Tote Exacta Chase at Kempton.

Charlie Mann supplies the remaining acceptor in the shape of nine-year-old Dunston Bill.

Nicholls confirmed Young Devereaux would contest the event and Fadalko may also take his chance depending on Saturday's conditions.

Prior to his Kempton success, the former also won a valuable Ascot handicap and his trainer feels the Lord Americo gelding is now ready to leave that company and step up in trip.

"He should go well at level weights," said Nicholls. "I don't see him going a bit further as a problem as long as the ground's not testing.

"It is a valuable race and he deserves to take part. Fadalko may well run too. He's in good order but we'll see the ground conditions."