Florida Pearl will be out for revenge when he bids to redeem his reputation in Sunday's Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown.
Little has gone to plan for the Willie Mullins-trained eight-year-old since he cemented his place at the top of the chasing tree by winning this Grade One race 12 months ago.
Beaten favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Heineken Gold Cup at Punchestown subsequently, he appeared to be on the road to recovery with a winning reappearance at Down Royal in November.
But defeat by Rince Ri in the Ericsson Chase at Leopardstown - after an interrupted preparation - and a narrow win from Amberleigh House on the same course have seen his Gold Cup odds lengthen to 8-1 with William Hill.
Ted Walsh's Rince Ri has been backed into 14-1 for Cheltenham since his Ericsson success under Conor O'Dwyer, who rides again on Sunday.
They are joined in a field of seven on Sunday by past Hennessy winners Dorans Pride (40-1 for the Gold Cup) and Danoli (66-1).
Dorans Pride, who won in 1998, returns from a spell of hurdling having seemingly lost his way over fences, while 1997 winner Danoli has been out of action since October, 1998 due to injury.
That pair, together with Florida Pearl, are bidding to emulate previous multiple winners Carvill's Hill (1989 and 1992), Nick The Brief (1990 and 1991) and Jodami (1993, 1994 and 1995).
Mullins has withdrawn Martell Grand National hope Micko's Dream, who won the Thyestes Chase at Gowran Park last month, and for the first time in the race's 13-year history there is no British runner.
But Alan King saddles Castle Sweep (Richard Johnson) in the Grade Two Dr P J Moriarty Novice Chase, against a highly-rated young home-team including Alexander Banquet, Native Upmanship and Saxophone.
Christy Roche runs Cheltenham hopes Young American and Youlneverwalkalone in the Barclays Spring Juvenile Hurdle and Deloitte And Touche Novice Hurdle respectively.
