Brian O'Connor talks to Florida Pearl's trainer Willie Mullins, who feels thegelding's time has arrived.

There is an inherent contradiction about the way Florida Pearl is likely to be ridden in the Tote Gold Cup today.

The race's most famous non-stayer is going to be given his head. Not that he is going to set the pace or anything. The very idea is absurd. But neither will he be held up to preserve that leaky stamina.

Willie Mullins had agreed with the unfortunate Adrian Maguire about the plan. Now he has to tell Conor O'Dwyer. But the plan remains the same. The trainer is aware of the apparent contradiction but isn't worried.

"He did jump so much better when he was up there in the King George. Normally the thing would be to hang back, get him to settle and don't take much out of him.

"But he is taking more out of himself at the back. He is taking a pull all the time. He is a lot more relaxed when up there and can gain lengths with his jumping. It could actually extend his stamina," he says.

That would mean Florida Pearl staying even further than three and a quarter miles, something the sceptics cannot believe. But Mullins remains convinced the enigmatic star truly stays the Gold Cup trip and can win steeplechasing's greatest prize.

"If he doesn't get the trip, I don't know what does. He's won a SunAlliance and been placed in two Gold Cups. I certainly think he stays it well enough to win a Gold Cup," he says before dealing with the inevitable question about some of those famous "cut outs".

"He has had two in the north (Down Royal) when his preparation was very much on a wing and a prayer. The other major one was the Hennessy but there were a combination of factors with that," Mullins declares.

"Adrian agreed with me about how he should be ridden that day but it didn't work out. What he did at Leopardstown afterwards was as impressive a piece of work as he has ever done. It was very encouraging."

Mullins has the other considerable string to his bow in the shape of the Hennessy winner Alexander Banquet and the 5mms of rain that fell yesterday morning will be to his advantage.

Asked which one he will be following through his glasses as the race unfolds and the trainer is typically smooth.

"Definitely both! Florida Pearl will be nearer the head of affairs so will be easier to follow but I'll be following both.

"Alexander Banquet doesn't like to be bullied to get up there. He likes taking his time getting into a race and we're better off letting him. He just needs time to warm up. He won the bumper here on good going and was second in the SunAlliance on it but he would prefer a dig in the ground," he says.

Nevertheless, Florida Pearl will again receive the main share of the pre-race focus. It's a role that Alexander Banquet has grown used to, despite that Hennessy defeat of Behrajan and Rince Ri with Florida Pearl a long way back in fourth.

It's a level of attention that Florida Pearl has had for most of his career and despite the doubters, and the less than ideal ground, he will have to carry the burden again today. His trainer would have it no other way.

"Lots of horses have been placed in the Gold Cup and come back a third or fourth time and won it. The Fellow did it, so did The Dikler. It's not like we're trying to do what Istabraq did, coming here and trying to win the Champion Hurdle for what was in effect a fifth year in a row," he argues.

It's the sort of low-key logic that has seen Mullins cope so well with the levels of attention Florida Pearl has attracted ever since he bounded up the hill in the Bumper five years ago and entered the public consciousness as the horse that just might.

"The Gold Cup is what every trainer aspires to. I thought we were going to get it the last two times but it wasn't to be. Everything needs to go so right. But the fact we didn't win it then might just make it all the more sweet now," he says.

There is no contradiction in that.