Racing: Doumen baffled by Gold's failure

François Doumen was yesterday unable to explain the flop of his First Gold, the hot favourite in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day. First Gold trailed home in fourth place.

"There is no problem with the horse and there is nothing to discover. I think he is just taking longer to reach his fitness," Doumen said. "I have to have double thoughts as to why he ran like that," the trainer admitted. "I want to go back home and have a good look at him and have a think about it."

Adrian Maguire, who rode Florida Pearl to victory in the King George, moved onto Leopardstown yesterday and was among the winners yet again as Sacundai sprang a surprise in the Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle.

In a two-mile contest for which Ballyhampshire Boy was odds-on to extend his winning sequence, Maguire pounced on the outside early in the straight with 8-1 chance Sacundai for the Edward O'Grady stable and a local syndicate on whose behalf the trainer bought the horse in France.

The favourite flattered briefly when hitting the front off the home bend, but could not raise the tempo when Maguire went for home with the second favourite, Yeoman's Point, also looking a danger. Before the last however the former French Flat racer had asserted and despite a mistake went right away for an eight-length verdict over Yeoman's Point, with the favourite finishing a well-beaten fourth.

"I am pleasantly surprised with this result. He is a horse which ran sixth in an Italian Derby and I think he will get further," O'Grady said. The trainer revealed that Maguire was not his first choice to substitute for the suspended Norman Williamson, for whom Sacundai had run second to Like-A-Butterfly at Fairyhouse earlier this month. "It's a bit similar to Willie Mullins and Florida Pearl. I asked both Barry Geraghty and Charlie Swan to ride Sacundai but neither wanted to," O'Grady said.

"The horse pricked his ears and idled in front after missing the last hurdle, but I was impressed with the way he went clear," Maguire said after the winner emulated his better known stablemate, Ned Kelly, who won the corresponding race a year ago.

On his last mount of the day Maguire completed a near 48-1 double when Murrayfield obliged in the Paddy Power Maiden Hurdle to foil a gamble of the favourite, Ground Ball. Maguire's luck ran out though on the top weight Granit D'Estruval, who was pulled up before the second last when out of contention.

* Musselburgh will hold a precautionary inspection at 6.45am. Hopes are high, but Bill Farnsworth, the clerk of the course, said: "The weathermen predicted a front to arrive bringing rain before forecasting clear periods tomorrow afternoon. However, that prediction has materialised 12 hours earlier and temperatures could get down to zero by morning. If that happens we should be all right but if it dips below zero then we might have problems. We are still very hopeful and it may mean a second inspection at 9.30 but we hope to get here in the morning and tell everyone there is no problem."