RACING/News: Willie Mullins reports that it is "all systems go" for Cheltenham with a Festival team of up to 11 horses.
Ireland's most successful trainer at Cheltenham in recent years yesterday confirmed Florida Pearl and Alexander Banquet are on track for the Gold Cup and they will be backed up in strength.
The Pierse winner, Adamant Approach, will fire the opening salvo for the Carlow yard in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle, while Ballyamber will go for the SunAlliance Hurdle on the second day.
The Festival Bumper has supplied four of Mullins's six Cheltenham successes and the stable representative this time will be the ante-post favourite, Alexander Milenium.
Also on Gold Cup day, both Scolardy and Heezapistol go in the Triumph Hurdle, while Joe Cullen (County Hurdle) and Its Time For A Win (Grand Annual) make up a handicap team.
Killultagh Storm is being pencilled in for the Cathcart and Assessed will take his place in the Arkle Trophy, having recovered from a lung infection.
There will be no Cheltenham Festival date this time for the veteran star Dorans Pride but there is no question of retirement yet for the horse and the Irish Grand National is being pencilled in as a possible return to action.
"He is in very good form and sound again," said trainer Michael Hourigan yesterday.
"Hopefully he will appear at Easter, and the National is an option depending on what the handicapper gives him.
"He is in perfect shape and although it took him a while to recover from his problems, he seems as well as ever now."
There are no problems expected for Thurles today, with the authorities deciding yesterday there was no need for an inspection.
The track manager, Pierse Molony, said: "I'm very confident we will be able to race. We had a bit of snow this morning but we could have raced from 10.30 on. The forecast is for something similar again."
The two scheduled steeplechases have already been lost because of the going but the handicap hurdle and the bumper have been divided to make a seven -race card that features an €8,177 Jackpot carryover.
The quality event, however, is the opener where Rathgar Beau can pay a compliment to his Deloitte and Touche conqueror Like-A-Butterfly.
Rathgar Beau ran fifth to the Supreme Novices' favourite at Leopardstown and despite having to concede weight to the likes of the Gowran winner, Star Clipper, the double course and distance winner looks a reasonable bet to win.
Intelligent ran third to the SunAlliance hopeful Pietro Vannucci at Naas in November and that level of performance should be good enough for the opportunity maiden, while Mrs Avery can do the business in the first division of the bumper.
All blood samples taken from horses during the Jockey Club's surprise swoop on some of Britain's leading yards on Tuesday have proved negative.
The stables of champion trainer Martin Pipe, as well as Paul Nicholls, Venetia Williams, Len Lungo and Alan Jones were all targeted in dawn raids.
