Favori De Champdou lands his fifth career success© Photo Healy Racing
Favori De Champdou galloped home well in the Grade 2 Liam & Valerie Brennan Novice Steeplechase over three miles at Punchestown to seal a double for Gordon Elliott and Jack Kennedy. Flooring Porter (11/4) didn't appear to relish going righthanded as he was leaning to his left in jumping and it became more pronounced as the race wore on.
He led throughout, but was hassled by loose horse Churchstonewarrior and was passed by Favori De Champdou after three out. The new leader asserted before the last and soon put his rivals away. Flooring Porter veered markedly left on the run-in when beaten and lost second place to Sando Clegane (7/2) who was 14 lengths behind the winner.
Kennedy said: "The loose horse (Churchstonewarrior who unseated at the second fence) wasn't doing Flooring Porter any favours, but it was sort of working out well for me.
"Very good, jumped great and galloped all the way to the line so I am very happy with him.
"He's a very strong stayer and the further he goes, the better he gets. He could nearly have gone around there again."
Elliott added: “He’d a good run the last day and we thought he’d come on from it, but we thought it would be tough.
“Jack said he stayed very well and jumped brilliant.
“I’d imagine he’ll go for something at Christmas.
“I liked the way he stayed galloping. He travelled the whole way and he could be a real National Hunt Chase horse for Cheltenham.” Affordale Fury the 9/4 favourite, didn't run his race in fifth with jockey Sam Ewing looking down at his mount after the 14th fence. Afterwards, his trainer Noel Meade said: “He’s trotting sound, but has quite a nasty gash on his heel. He’s obviously not right and never jumped which he’s good at.
“He thought he’d gone wrong down the back and was going to pull him up and then he started to go again but he was out on his feet turning in.
“That wasn’t Affordale Fury that we saw today. He was in great form coming here and schooled well the other day, but just didn’t perform today.”
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
