The Gavin Cromwell-trained Flooring Porter© Photo Healy Racing
Flooring Porter is on course for a repeat win in the Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle with connections following the same path that proved successful last year.
The son of Yeats was a revelation last season progressing from a mark of just 122 to score four times including Grade 1 wins at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting and the Cheltenham Festival.
The free-running gelding was given a break last term between those Grade 1 victories and, having finished a gallant second to Klassical Dream in the Dornan Engineering Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown, will again be kept fresh for Cheltenham.
“Flooring Porter will go straight to Cheltenham, that was always the plan. That’s what we did last year and we’ll try and replicate that if we can,” said trainer Gavin Cromwell on Racing TV.
“He’s come out of Leopardstown fine. He ran a very solid race and the two of them pulled a long way clear of the third.”
The seven-year-old is currently an 11/2 chance with the sponsors for a repeat win in March.
The County Meath trainer also plans on sending novice chasers Vanillier and Gabynako straight to Cheltenham following below par efforts at Christmas.
Vanillier showed his liking for Prestbury Park last March when landing the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle in impressive fashion and has taken well to fences this term landing the Grade 2 Florida Pearl Novice Chase at Punchestown.
However, he was soundly beaten in third last time behind Fury Road in the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Novice Chase at Leopardstown and Cromwell commented: “I was happy with him going to Leopardstown but he didn’t really spark on the day. I expected a better run but he seems to be ok.
“We haven’t done a whole pile with him since and he’s been freshened up.
“He’ll will probably go straight to Cheltenham and I’d say he’ll go for the three mile and six (National Hunt Chase). He’s also entered in the three-mile novice (Brown Advisory) and we’ll see closer to the time.”
Gabynako has also won over fences this season at Fairyhouse in November and ran a cracker when second to Beacon Edge in the BARONERACING.COM Drinmore Novice Chase at the same venue later that month.
He was also a well beaten third in Grade 1 company last time behind Master McShee in the BoyleSports Faugheen Novice Chase and Cromwell explained: “Gabynako ran a bit flat in Limerick. Darragh (O’Keeffe) said going to the start he wasn’t the same horse so he’ll go straight to Cheltenham.
“His target is undecided but maybe the Turners Novice Chase or the Brown Advisory.”
