Racing: Pearl's worth remains undiscovered

THE TRUE message of Christmas as far as some punters is concerned is that Cheltenham is now less than three months' distant, and the festive spirit will soon give way to the Festival spirit as the three-day pinnacle of the jumps season draws ever closer.

It was certainly the only thought in anyone's mind for much of yesterday's Ericsson Chase at Leopardstown, as Florida Pearl threatened to produce a performance to rival that of Teeton Mill in Saturday's King George VI Chase. In the end, though, Florida Pearl was left sprawling on the turf at the third-last fence, and those who see him as an heir to Arkle can only wonder how the final furlongs might have unfolded.

Florida Pearl was still full of running as he and Richard Dunwoody approached the obstacle, but while his jockey saw a stride, the horse did not. Florida Pearl put his front feet down when they should have been up and over, and Dunwoody had no chance of staying in the saddle. Dorans Pride, himself the focus of many Irish hopes at recent Festivals, was left to gallop home alone, although Paul Carberry, his rider, deserves great credit for surviving a blunder almost as desperate as that by Florida Pearl six fences from home. Suny Bay, the top-rated chaser in Britain, was a faller too, though he was thoroughly beaten when he came down at the second-last.

Opinions were divided afterwards, not least among the bookmakers, who offer odds ranging from 8-1 to 12-1 against Dorans Pride for the Gold Cup, a race in which he has finished third for the past two seasons.

Yet Florida Pearl's gallop appeared as effortless as it was relentless until his mishap, just as it did when he beat Escartefigue in the Royal SunAlliance Chase at last season's Festival. It was no surprise, then, to see him still quoted at a best-priced 5-1 for the Gold Cup, a point and a half behind the top odds about Teeton Mill. Bar those two, the odds are in double figures.

Florida Pearl's projected route to the Festival remains unchanged and he will race just once, in the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Leopardstown in February, before the main event on 18 March. "I was delighted with the way Florida Pearl settled and was travelling," Dunwoody, who abandoned Dorans Pride to take the ride yesterday, said. "Going into the third last, I was pleased that I had made the right choice." Dorans Pride, meanwhile, is not expected to run at all before the Festival, but since he has now won 24 races and more than pounds 500,000 in prize-money, there is no reason for his owner to be greedy.

The Irish will also travel in hope, perhaps even expectation, of victories from three other runners at Leopardstown yesterday. Commanche Court, the Triumph Hurdle winner of 1997, gave 10lb and an emphatic beating to Miltonfield in the Christmas Hurdle and will now be trained for the Stayers' Hurdle, while To Your Honour and Nick Dundee will be major contenders for the Royal SunAlliance Hurdle and Chase respectively.

It was not Cheltenham but Aintree which appeared on the horizon after the Welsh National at Chepstow, where Kendal Cavalier outstayed Fidding The Facts to win at 14-1. Afterwards, the grey was caked in mud, just like Barry Fenton, his jockey, but neither will complain if similar conditions prevail on Grand National day in April.

Kendal Cavalier was winning just days after changing stables, moving from Rod Millman to Nigel Hawke, whose second-tier career as a jump jockey included just one notable highlight, when Seagram won the National in 1991.

Three fences out, it seemed that Fiddling The Facts was going best of all, but Fenton and Kendal Cavalier quickened past on the run to the second- last, and then held on grimly in the heavy ground.

"I have got to give Rod the credit," Hawke said, "the horse won four races for him last season, but he wanted a change of scenery and it has done the job. We were 13lb out of the handicap, but he was suited by the trip, the ground and the track. He is not the quickest in the world, but he does keep galloping, and he might be a National horse."

Earth Summit, who started 9-2 favourite, and Dom Samourai, another well- fancied runner, both ran poorly. The stewards were told that the former will be re-fitted with blinkers for his next run, although punters might wonder why they were left off yesterday.

Dom Samourai, meanwhile, never got into the race after missing the break, something for which the starter must take at least some responsibility.

The feature event at Kempton, the Christmas Hurdle, was won in a canter by French Holly, whose trainer, Ferdy Murphy, paid for this Christmas and probably the next few as well with a bet on his horse at the early odds of 11-4.

"I had my biggest bet," he said. "The other horse [Dato Star, the favourite] has only run right-handed once before and he got murdered when he did. It was a two-horse race and I thought 11-4 was unbelievable." French Holly will run next in the AIG Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown as a prep for the Champion Hurdle, for which he is now the clear 7-1 second-favourite behind Istabraq, who runs at Leopardstown today.

French Holly was partnered yesterday by Andrew Thornton, who had one of the most remarkable afternoons of his career. After winning the first race at Kempton, he gave up his next two rides, complaining that he was "dehydrated and had a bit of 'flu", before returning to ride not only French Holly, but two more winners as well.

"It's surprising what you can do with yourself," he said. "But I'm fine now, I'm feeling on top of the world."