Richard Johnson is set to ride Ireland's top-rated chaser Florida Pearl at the rescheduled National Hunt festival.

Johnson, who rode the Willie Mullins-trained horse to win his third Hennessy Gold Cup at Leopardstown in February, was due to ride Florida Pearl in the Cheltenham Gold Cup but will now get a second experience of him after all.

Florida Pearl is due to run in the £125,000 Heineken Gold Cup, which is currently scheduled for the third day of the festival at Fairyhouse.

Mullins said yesterday: "Florida Pearl is also in that Gold Cup substitute race at Sandown (April 28th) but the Heineken is more likely. I imagine Richard Johnson will ride him if he is available. The horse is in good order and worked well last week."

Mullins's regular rider, Ruby Walsh, is likely to ride last year's winner, Commanche Court, in the Heineken, and Ted Walsh's runner is also set to try and repeat his Irish Grand National success on May 6th.

An intriguing possibility has also opened up for the other Walsh star, Papillon, who has to stay in Britain after his unlucky Grand National effort because of the foot-and-mouth crisis. There is a £100,000 bonus for any horse who finishes in the first four in Aintree and then wins Sandown's Whitbread Gold Cup, which is on April 28th. A decision on whether Papillon will take up the challenge will not be made until closer to the time of the race.