A RETURN to glory for one of Gavin Cromwell’s stable stars is on the cards this afternoon, as FLOORING PORTER lines up in the Kerry National (4.20pm) at Listowel.
The legendary two-time Stayers’ Hurdle winner is being switched back for a second stint over the bigger obstacles and will be hard to peg back if his jumping holds up.
While his latest outing over fences at Killarney left a lot to be desired, that was his first start after a break and over a trip far shorter than ideal, so I’m happy to put a line though that.
That effort sees him head to Listowel off a mark of just 149 over fences, which looks more than workable when you consider he’s a multiple Grade One winner, and he looks good each-way bet at 8/1.
Six of his eight wins have come going left-handed, as he will be again here, and if he’s to win a big pot over fences it will probably be at this time of year when the jumping is made a little easier on this better ground.
Speaking in his William Hill blog, Cromwell has already stated there’s “every chance he ends up back in the Stayers’ Hurdle” but sees this as a big chance to plunder a nice €200,000 pot before the jumps season ticks up a gear.
There are definitely sturdier chasers in the field, like The Real Whacker and Fakir d’Oudairies, but if Flooring Porter gets into a good rhythm out in front, then he could be very hard to stop.
POINTERS TODAY
Flooring Porter e/w 4:20pm Listowel