Noel Meade hopes to get Affordale Fury to the Cheltenham Gold Cup despite being pulled up lame in the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown.
Winner of the Savills Chase at the Dublin track at Christmas, the eight-year-old was running well at the head of the field before weakening dramatically four fences from home.
He was then pulled up after the third-last as he dropped right out of contention, but after being assessed by his veterinary team Meade is confident he will be able to take his place in the Prestbury Park showpiece.
Meade said: “He was lame. He pulled a little muscle on the inside of his hind leg. Obviously he made a little bit of a mistake, not much, a little bit and it must have hurt him straight away because the minute he landed he was done.
“He was quite lame after the race. He’s not as bad this morning. He seems a little bit better. We’ve had the vets with him and hopefully it won’t hold him up too long, it’s just a bit of soft-tissue damage. So it just depends on how long it takes to heal.
“He was going well and jumping well, and jumping very straight. They were going a fair gallop, but we know he’s better than that no matter what, (so) there had to be something wrong.
“We scoped him after the race and he was 100 per cent clean but was lame and he was lame when he came home and he was lame when we loaded him into his box, so presumably that’s what happened to him.”
“If we can get him back on-song he’s definitely going to the Gold Cup.”
£625,000 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase (Grade 1)
3m 2f 70y
Affordale Fury (IRE) 8 11 10 Mr P. L. Polly Noel Meade Ireland
Banbridge (IRE) 10 11 10 Mr R. A. Bartlett Joseph Patrick O'Brien Ireland
Envoi Allen (FR) 12 11 10 Cheveley Park Stud Henry de Bromhead Ireland
Fastorslow (FR) 10 11 10 Sean & Bernardine Mulryan Martin Brassil Ireland
Firefox (IRE) 8 11 10 Bective Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland
Gaelic Warrior (GER) 8 11 10 Mrs S. Ricci W. P. Mullins Ireland
Galopin Des Champs (FR) 10 11 10 Mrs Audrey Turley W. P. Mullins Ireland
Gold Tweet (FR) 9 11 10 AGV Karwin Stud Gabriel Leenders France
Grangeclare West (IRE) 10 11 10 Cheveley Park Stud W. P. Mullins Ireland
Grey Dawning (IRE) 9 11 10 Mr Robert Kirkland Dan Skelton
Haiti Couleurs (FR) 9 11 10 Conyers, McDermott and Prowting Rebecca Curtis
Handstands (IRE) 7 11 10 Mr T. P. Radford Ben Pauling
Heart Wood (FR) 8 11 10 Robcour Henry de Bromhead Ireland
I Am Maximus (FR) 10 11 10 Mr John P. McManus W. P. Mullins Ireland
Impaire Et Passe (FR) 8 11 10 Mr Simon Munir/Mr Isaac Souede W. P. Mullins Ireland
Inothewayurthinkin (IRE) 8 11 10 Mr John P. McManus Gavin Cromwell Ireland
Jango Baie (FR) 7 11 10 Countrywide Park Homes Ltd Nicky Henderson
L'homme Presse (FR) 11 11 10 Dfa Racing (Pink,Edwards & Sharman) Venetia Williams
Lecky Watson (IRE) 8 11 10 Slaneyville Syndicate W. P. Mullins Ireland
Monty's Star (IRE) 9 11 10 Mr Barry Maloney Henry de Bromhead Ireland
Myretown (IRE) 9 11 10 Wymer & Russell Lucinda Russell & Michael Scudamore
Nick Rockett (IRE) 9 11 10 Stewart & Sadie Andrew W. P. Mullins Ireland
Resplendent Grey (IRE) 8 11 10 Mrs R. J. Skan Olly Murphy
Spillane's Tower (IRE) 8 11 10 Mr John P. McManus James Joseph Mangan Ireland
Spindleberry (IRE) 8 11 3 Fearghal & Bronagh Eastwood W. P. Mullins Ireland
Stellar Story (IRE) 9 11 10 Gigginstown House Stud Gordon Elliott Ireland
The Jukebox Man (IRE) 8 11 10 Mr Harry Redknapp Ben Pauling
Three Card Brag (IRE) 9 11 10 McNeill Family/Patrick & Scott Bryceland Gordon Elliott Ireland