The doubters may not have been completely silenced but their volume buttons have been drastically turned down after Florida Pearl's decisive success in yesterday's Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

Florida Pearl's five-and-a-half length defeat of old rival Dorans Pride gave the Willie Mullins-trained horse a second successive victory in the £110,000 race, but even more importantly it re-established his claims for the Cheltenham Gold Cup, for which he is now quoted as low as 5 to 1

The Grand National-winning jockey Paul Carberry had Florida Pearl in front fully eight fences from home, briefly restrained him after some brilliant jumping down the back straight and finally went for home from the fifth last.

Florida Pearl's sustained burst proved too much for the veteran Danoli, who unseated his rider at the third last in his first start in 16 months. Dorans Pride proved more troublesome to shake off, but Carberry never had to resort to the whip to win.

"Nobody could ask for more than that," said Mullins, who along with Carberry had to endure widespread criticism surrounding Florida Pearl's Christmas defeat by Rince Ri. The Co Carlow trainer also had his faith in the horse's staying power vindicated.

"I never had any doubts about his stamina. We held him up in previous races because he was a relative novice and I didn't want to set him off by racing from the front. But he is more experienced now and I've never been worried by the three-mile trip," Mullins added.

Carberry said he wouldn't swap Florida Pearl as a Gold Cup ride for anything else and, after enduring criticism from the British television pundit John McCririck over that Rince Ri defeat, Carberry grinned: "This shows how unfit Florida Pearl was that day and Mr McCririck might realise that now!"

A number of other Irish horses copper-fastened their claims to Cheltenham success yesterday, including the JP McManus-owned Youlneveralkalone who is now an 11 to 4 favourite for the opening race at the festival.

But yesterday's main outcome is that Florida Pearl will go to Cheltenham with many people's faith in him as a realistic contender restored. His owner, former Irish rugby international Archie O'Leary, simply smiled and said: "A few people are going to have to go back to writing gardening columns!"