The Gold Cup second favourite, Florida Pearl, warms up for the Hennessy with his first-ever run in handicap company at Leopardstown tomorrow, and trainer Willie Mullins expects significant improvement from his Christmas effort when beaten by Rince Ri in the Ericsson.
However, it was the run up to that Ericsson effort that was grabbing attention yesterday after Mullins admitted the horse had spent a month standing in his box after his first race of the season at Down Royal.
Mullins was quoted in an English newspaper as saying: 'He had a problem after his run in the North and had missed a month, stood in his box. I purposely didn't say anything about it, hoping that if I could get him to Christmas, there wouldn't be many runners and that his class could carry him through.'
Before the Ericsson Mullins was on the record as saying that Down Royal had taken a lot out of Florida Pearl, who subsequently missed the Durkan Chase, but did not mention his stable star having had a month off. Yesterday he denied any suggestion he had misled the betting public.
'I thought by saying the horse had had a good break, I had said enough for people to read between the lines. I was open about the horse having a good break. I felt it was our business to say what happened without misleading anybody and I don't believe we did mislead anybody,' Mullins said.
Florida Pearl was beaten a neck by Rince Ri in the Ericsson after appearing to be travelling much the better on touching down over the last. His rider, Paul Carberry, was criticised afterwards for his patient handling of the horse who was written off in some quarters as a nonstayer.
Mullins added yesterday: 'I think he will have come on for that race and hopefully he will come on again after Sunday. At the time I though the horse had done a good bit of work before Christmas and that he was back fairly right, but any time you miss time and work it must always be at the back of your mind.'
Today's racing at Punchestown features the Grade Three New Stand Juvenile Hurdle and the second start over flights of the Steve Mahon-trained Calladine. The ex-Jim Bolger horse sprang a 16 to 1 surprise on his jumping debut in the Dennys at Christmas, and although it may have been a shock to some there didn't seem to be any semblance of a fluke about it.
Calladine should have improved, holds Francines Boy on the book and should be up to beating last weekend's Naas winner Topacio.
