Flooring Porter's path to Grand National still up in air
Flooring Porter and Danny Mullins winning the 2021 Stayers' Hurdle at Cheltenham
The Lismullen Hurdle next weekend, the Cleeve Hurdle, the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National are all possible options for Gavin Cromwell's Flooring Porter this season.
With two Stayers’ Hurdles also on his CV, Flooring Porter is already one of the stalwarts of the National Hunt game and is a big draw at big races.
“Flooring Porter could run in the Lismullen, he’s not a certain runner. He was very good in the Kerry National and Keith (Donoghue) was very good on him, but he went up a stone for it,” said Cromwell speaking at the launch of the Navan Racing Festival.
“He’s not certain and if he doesn’t run we could wait and go to Cheltenham for the Cleeve. Potentially he could run in the Stayers’ again or he might just go straight to the National.
“He’s high in the handicap now, but he’s been a fantastic servant. He wouldn’t be a married man’s ride, he takes a bit of managing.
“He’s not that big so I wouldn’t say he’s a proper winter chaser, but he is very high in the handicap now.”
Looking ahead to the Bar One Racing Troytown Chase on Sunday week, Cromwell expects to have a couple of runners.
He said: “Perceval Legallois has threatened so many times, he’s fallen when looking like winning at Leopardstown last season, but he’s off a mark now that he might not be as well handicapped as people think he is as the handicapper has pushed him up. We’re just hoping there’s a big one in him. He should run as long as there’s no jar in the ground.
“Yeah Man should run, the ground will be fine for him, Hartur d’Arc is in the Paddy Power at Cheltenham and could potentially go there. Ask Anything could probably do with so more juice in the ground.”
