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