Fresh from his triumph in the Leopardstown November Handicap, Dorans Pride will take on Looks Like Trouble and Florida Pearl in the James Nicholson Wine Merchant Champion Chase at Down Royal on Saturday.

The versatile 11-year-old switched his attentions to the Flat on Sunday when he showed too much pace and determination for his younger rivals.

His trainer, Michael Hourigan, said yesterday: "You wouldn't think he has had a race at all, we have just turned him out in the field, he has galloped away and he is bucking and kicking.

"I got as big a thrill seeing him win yesterday as I did when he won at Cheltenham, but I wasn't surprised that he had won, he had been working so well at home."

And when asked if he would now take on the big chasing guns at Down Royal, the reply was swift. He went on: "There is no doubt at the moment that he will be going there.

"My son Paul will ride him, he has won on him twice before - he knows him very well - and then we will put him in all the good races. But we have no other definite plans at present, we will play it day by day. He has passed the winning post in front 30 times, he has won 28 proper races plus a point-to-point and a charity race. He is an unbelievable horse, he is very sound and they don't come along like him very often."

Willie Mullins is hoping that the recent spell of wet weather does not end too abruptly for Florida Pearl. "I'm hoping the course doesn't dry out too much," he said. "Florida Pearl is in good form and I will also run Micko's Dream in the race. Florida Pearl won the race last year but he wasn't up against a Gold Cup winner. I am hopeful he will run a big race on Saturday."

Noel Chance reports that it is all systems go for Looks Like Trouble's trip to Down Royal, and he added: "Putting back the race a week upset me more than the horse!

"This has been the plan since July, then suddenly it is put back a week, it unnerves you. You have got to work him again and school him again and you are opening up the risk of injury."

However, he concluded: "Obviously we are pleased the race will be run this weekend and with what looks a decent forecast it could be good ground over there. Richard Johnson rides." Chance has also set his sights on the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase at Punchestown on December 10th for the former Paul Nicholls-trained Flagship Uberalles.

"We did not want to be guessing whether he would get the three miles in the King George, but if he gets the two and a half miles comprehensively well we would then consider running him at Kempton," he said.

Bobbyjo, the hero of the 1999 Martell Grand National, is among 23 entries for the Tote Becher Chase at Aintree on Saturday, but is more likely to run at Navan on Sunday.

Trainer Tommy Carberry has also put Native Status in the three-miles-three-furlongs test over the National fences, and he said yesterday: "Bobbyjo will probably go to Navan for the Troytown Chase, that is a good race and it would be handier for him to go there.

"I would want decent ground for him wherever he goes, he does not like it very soft and as it looks like being a dry week over here it could be decent ground at Navan."

He went on: "We would probably send Native Status to Liverpool instead, he has run in the last two John Hughes Memorial Chases, he was sixth in it last year so he knows his way around and is a good jumper - and he could go for the National next spring too."