The carrot of riding Gold Cup favourite Florida Pearl in the Ericsson Chase could bring further drama to Ruby Walsh's race against time to be fit for Leopardstown at Christmas.

With Florida Pearl's regular rider Richard Dunwoody now retired, trainer Willie Mullins has narrowed the substitutes bench down to stable jockey Walsh and Paul Carberry who rode Florida Pearl to victory in his first start of the season at Down Royal.

Mullins said yesterday: "At the start of the season I agreed with the owner that Ruby would ride Florida Pearl if Richard Dunwoody didn't make it back. Then came the complication of Ruby breaking his shin bone. The question now is will he be fit in time. As Ruby is the stable jockey he possibly will be preferred - if fit."

Walsh is upbeat about making it back in time for Christmas and the Ericsson on December 28th and hopes to have the remaining cast on the shin bone he broke in the Czech Republic in early October removed next week.