The postponement for a week of the Florida Pearl-Looks Like Trouble clash at Down Royal may disappoint a lot of people but not Ruby Walsh, who is set to be back in time from injury to ride Florida Pearl on Saturday week.
Walsh has never before ridden the Willie Mullins-trained horse in a race and his latest injury setback had forced Mullins to book Norman Williamson for Florida Pearl in the £110,000 James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase.
But yesterday morning, after an inspection, the two-day fixture was postponed to November 17th-18th and that allows Walsh the time to complete his recovery from the wrist injury that has kept him out of action for almost three weeks.
"Ruby is seeing his surgeon tomorrow and we will know more after that. But I'm expecting him to be back, and if he is back, I imagine he will ride. That has always been the plan," Mullins said yesterday.
A spokesperson for Walsh reported: "There's been no time set for his return yet." However, Williamson said: "At the moment I don't really know what's happening but come next week there is every chance Ruby will be back. If that's the case he will ride Florida Pearl."
Mullins reported Florida Pearl "in good order" and confirmed the Down Royal race will be his first start of the season. The northern option is also favoured for Micko's Dream, who also has an entry in Newbury's Hennessy Gold Cup.
"The north is favourite for Micko's Dream and he won't run in both, but Alexander Banquet is a definite starter at Newbury. It will be his first start of the year but I don't mind that too much and there are no options here for him," added Mullins.
Looks Like Trouble's trainer, Noel Chance, also played down the significance of the Down Royal postponement, and said: "It's not a major problem. The only thing is that so much can happen in a week, but at least the ground can hardly get worse and it will just mean giving the horse a couple of more bits of work and a school."
The immediate result is that Looks Like Trouble's rider, Richard Johnson, will switch to Cheltenham to ride Jonjo O'Neill's Legal Right in the Thomas Pink Gold Cup and Williamson will now ride Davoski in the same race.
The Down Royal authorities had no option yesterday but to postpone after the River Lagan burst its banks and flooded part of the steeplechase track.
"The Lagan burst its banks and flooded the three-mile chase start. It's the highest it has been for 15 years. The rest of the course is in amazing condition considering the rain we've had," said the Down Royal manager, Michael Todd.
Frances Crowley will not let her stable star, Moscow Express, run in the Thomas Pink - "the ground has gone on the soft side for him" - but the trainer will be represented in the novice chase at Cheltenham tomorrow by Sackville (David Casey), while the staying handicap hurdler, Tisrabraq (Charlie Swan), will take his chance on Saturday.
